An Alchemist's Anguish Is Never Forgotten
by Give A Hug
Summary: Kiara Nevina, a young 18 year old girl with a fiery temper, thought she was done with the military, alchemy, and everything else that ruined her life. But a chance encounter with the FullMetal Alchemist may just turn things around....
1. A Forgotten Burden

**_DISCLAIMER:_ WOOT! I RE-DID THE FIRST CHAPTER! I don't own any Full Metal Alchemist-ness or beautiful Edward. I only own Kiara and Austin!

* * *

**_Chapter 1: Their Forgotten Burden_

"Oh you've got to be kidding, right?" a young boy had been complaining for a fairly long while. "You don't pay to me to baby-sit!" he yelled impatiently, shoving his fist on the desk.

"Would you relax Full Metal? You act as if I'm giving you a four-year-old child," a man, rather older than the boy but still very young in years, replied, straightening out his golden tassel on his navy-blue uniform. "It's rather simple if you ask me. Her name's Kiara Nevina and she will be under your watch only for the time I was allotted— three weeks. You take her to public places, and that's all."

The much older man had short stringy black hair that fell carelessly into his deep eerie black eyes. A regular blue uniform fit tightly across his broad shoulders engulfed him with the scent of higher superiority. None the less, his ignorance could be spotted right after your first conversation. Colonel Roy Mustang, a state alchemist also, ignored Edward Elric's protests.

"But…this hardly makes sense sir!" another polite voice came from behind the annoyed Edward Elric.

One would have found it eerie; it was so hollow and empty, but full of the child-like aura. When he'd talk, it would seem as if it was a monotonous and steady voice that flowed from the armor. But if you looked extra careful, and paid close attention, it was just the expressionless face that never moved that made everything so offset to him. An impassive face was only because this young boy, no more than sixteen, was a huge armored suit. Large bolted down spikes lay across his shoulders, (three to be exact) and one placed on his head. His mouth was only the combining of two metal pieces in a zigzag style that was never any use to him, for he never needed it to speak. Setting aside the blue loincloth wrapped around his middle, he was a full metal body suit.

Standing at about seven feet, Alphonse Elric seemed to have a dark demeanor. But the true him was so much different than the armor conveyed, only the people close to him knew of his true gentle, polite, courteous attitude.

"I don't understand why we of all people would have to guard some girl. Isn't that what other officials do? Aren't we the people who are guarded, not the other way around?" he demanded curiously.

"That is specialized information Alphonse, it is strictly forbidden to your acknowledge."

"Really? " Edward scoffed sarcastically. "Because I think this is all your doing, " he spat, and without knowing it, was completely right. "You've got some crazy hunch about some random girl so you're sticking her with us to see what will happen! Well let me tell you this—,"

"Please use the left side of your brain, " Mustang shot corrosively, rolling his eyes for effect.

"I am! You do these kinds of things! " Edward insisted, then opened his mouth again to continue with a far-fetched story.

"Why, does she have someone after her? " Alphonse intervened, not able to wait for Edward to finish.

"No, " Mustang answered him on contact, hoping, and succeeding, to shut Edward up.

"Then if she's with someone like us, as in, alchemist who shouldn't be protecting someone, does she have to stay hidden?" Alphonse inquired with a puzzled sound in his voice. In his mind, he was desperately trying to think of an explanation for this berserk order they received all of a sudden.

"No."

"If someone is after her, why are we of all people watching her?" Alphonse began to fall into his own anecdote just as his brother.

"_No,_" Mustang found himself raising his voice more than necessary. He always tended to do that when both of the Elric brothers ganged up on him. "Have we already been over the fact I'm not going to give you any information?" he yelled irritably.

"If you want a story, I guess I could tell you I offered the job to many people," he began, from the start lying, but looking as though it was the complete truth. Roy could do that, you know. "And," -he sighed- "They are too afraid to take the job."

The two brothers looked surprised at this, and scared, just as he expected. But, as quick as it came, it surpassed as Edward shot of his mouth in an angry tone once again.

"You're kidding right? Your men work for the military, they've seen horrible stuff, and they're afraid of a little girl! How bad can she possibly _be?_" he exaggerated.

Mustang gave them a blank stare, then shook his head. "You don't understand…."

"Well, you could tell us so we would!" Edward yelled, fairly annoyed by now.

"If I did you wouldn't watch her! She's too valuable and dangerous to let die," Mustang was secretly enjoying torturing the boys' emotions as he watched them become shocked for the millionth time that night.

However, Edward was the first to recover again. "But we've got a lead Mustang! We are supposed to leave tomorrow! Is this really 'top-information,' or do you just enjoy pissing me off?" he roared, accidentally stomping his feet so he looked more like a five-year-old than an actual seventeen-year-old did.

If you had gotten the time to know Edward, you'd find him a complete opposite of Alphonse, in every way you could imagine. How they managed to work together some may never know, but it was probably because they balanced each other out. Edward, as you'll soon learn, didn't have a very patient temper…at all.

"Both, actually," Mustang couldn't help but say, smirking evilly. "And besides, if it's that strong of a lead, and you really must go right away, take her with you."

He watched as both Edward and Alphonse's jaws literally dropped to the floor, and their bodies almost fall all the way over in utter awe.

"WHAT!" they both cried incredulously in unison, something they rarely did.

"Sir!" Alphonse whined in disbelief, getting very frustrated by now. "How could we possibly take an innocent girl on a wild goose chase, especially when our lives could be a stake any moment! You aren't actually expecting us to tell her the _**true** _story are you? You don't really believe she'll **_want_** to come, will you? You aren't going to let this happen, are you?" Alphonse's voice grew higher as he went on.

If there was anything he didn't like, it was taking credulous people, particularly women, into his brother and his' insane search for something that they weren't sure existed. Every time they went out their lives were set to limits, and even Mustang knew that!

"Who cares if she knows!" Edward shrugged all thoughts of that away, seeming more interested/angry at something else. "That…That…_thing_ would be the biggest obstacle in our way! This is pathetic Mustang, pathetic! Could you really get no oneto do your bidding for you? Why is this girl so special? Why are you being to intolerable..." Edward ranted on for another ten minutes, but after that line, Mustang had already zoned out.

Finally, Edward had to pause to inhale deeply. Alphonse saw an opportunity to shoot something in.

"Can we have something so we know about her?" he sighed, finally giving in.

They'd already been back and forth for at the least, an hour. What was the use? Roy Mustang was not going to tell Edward and Alphonse Elric why they'd have to watch over a girl about their age for three weeks.

"It isn't an eternity," Mustang quickly replied, cutting Edward off with a sign of relief on his face. "Like I've been repeating to you two for the past hour and twenty-minutes, it will be three weeks, here is her what we know of her. Not enough for an actual profile," Mustang threw a yellow folder at Edward, who distractingly caught it. "You will do this, no matter what. Keep in mind you work for me, not the other way around. Now get out of my office," he stated simply as the two boys walked out of the door reluctantly.

For a while, it was just their footsteps echoing, and a few military personnel's walking by, but soon Alphonse broke the silence. "Brother," Alphonse called in a whisper. "What is her name?"

"Who cares?" Edward scowled.

"I do," he replied emphatically. "Don't act like that, brother," he gave the usual voice when trying to crack Edward's temper.

With a 'humph,' he flipped open the golden page agilely and looked at the first line. Hastily, he quickly spoke, "Kiara Nevina. Hmm, no middle name…." He looked slightly interested now.

They both stopped in the hall, peering into the folder with curiosity, not aware of anything else. A few people casually walked by, giving them small odd glances, then continuing on when they didn't look back up.

"Well, we don't have middle names either," Alphonse stated bluntly, looking in Edward's direction. "I'm sure she's nice."

Somehow, Edward couldn't find his brothers words comforting. "I don't understand this," Edward muttered to himself, flipping through the pages, trying to find something more. "She's got a dad somewhere, why the hell isn't she with him? Why do we have to baby-sit at such an important time!" his fist grasped the paper a little too hard, causing it to crumble.

"She's eighteen," Alphonse cut in fast, calming down his older brother. "That's only a year older than you and two for me."

"Hn, red hair," Edward continued on, his fist releasing greatly. "Hazel and sea-foam eyes, what kind of color is that…?" he briefed over her profile, with Alphonse silently reading along with him over his shoulder.

"Brother," Alphonse spoke suddenly, pointing to the very middle of a very long paragraph. "It says she's an expelled State Alchemist." They both exchanged odd glances, compiling this new information.

"Then wouldn't the military want nothing to do with her?" they found themselves winding right back to the start, with only more confusion piled on top of it. "Maybe someone really is after her like you said Al, and Mustang is giving her an inside favor. Eh, probably dated her at some point of time," he answered his question sarcastically.

"Edward…." Alphonse sighed disapprovingly. "I highly doubt that is the case. Besides, she's not even twenty yet."

"Not like that'd stop Mustang, the perverted bastard," Ed mumbled lowly, making sure his brother couldn't hear.

"Well, I really don't care who she is. I'm going to spend as much time away from her as possible," Edward stated clearly, shocking Alphonse a bit. "And if she gets in our way, then we dump her back at little Uncle Roy's footstep."

The two brothers walked down the halls of a great building, barely discussing the new girl they would have responsibility over.

* * *

Hoped you liked the revised edition! The second chapter is on my way now that I'm back! Plus, already got half of the eigth chapter typed up and ready! REVIEW PLEASE, I THRIVE ON FEEDBACK! If you have to flame-mail, please don't rant. I hate reading all of it...too long. 


	2. A Forever Train Ride

**DISCLAIMER: God, here we go again, with the fake disclaimer. Though I have cried at night, and printed out a million pictures like a mad woman, I do no own Full Metal Alchemist. AND WOOT BECAUSE HERE IS THE REVISED SPECIAL GOLDEN EDITION!

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: A Forever Train Ride**

"Hmm, let's watch the scenery, shall we? Green…green…green, green, green, oh my gosh, look, the actual color of brown!" the girl muttered sarcastically as she viewed the outside of her window on the train.

The constant blurry fields of the springtime country had begun to bore her on the tedious drive; but then again, there was nothing else to really looked at. At least it was moving, unlike the rest of the steam engine. Sure, it was crowded, but there was a stiff crowd that day.

In utter boredom, she let her face inch a bit closer to the window's cold glass, looking more foolish than before. As soon as the shock of the icy feel wore down, her entire cheek was smashed against the window as she let the train jolt her steadily around.

Kiara Nevina could be classified as a pretty young woman, but there were a lot of other girls who fell in to the category also. She had her imperfections, but unlike some people's, you couldn't see hers as much. But isn't that what makes a girl beautiful?

Her light, loose, red curls bounced just a little pass her shoulders, not in waves, but the spiraling mess that was a hassle to keep up. Though, it seemed to not frizz and poof out as much as it used to when she was little. Plus, she had learned a little about taking care of it, so it was admired. Some people would tell her she had model-class hair. Her eyes were even more entrancing; with a thick line entirely white that wrapped around her stunning turquoise eyes. They each had a small bit of a hazel burst that never faded away, and always in Kiara's opinion represented her hidden gentleness.

She wasn't all the too skinny, not since she had stopped training, but still had most of her muscle. Without flexing, you could still see her rather built up figure and slightly large arms and stomach. Her previous job had really influenced her to work on her body. Her tom-boyish build felt like it added up, but on the outside she was so short and small people saw her as petite.

Kiara, like many other people, had deceiving looks. Her shortening height would only add more to the one trait you could describe her personality— _weird_. Kiara Nevina was your average eighteen-year-old, offbeat merriment that couldn't keep a smile down if it hit her.

Yes, she was the girl running down the halls shouting, just because she could. Growing up with a loudmouthed speaking family, Kiara was always taught to show your emotions in the best way you could and let the world know it was okay to be messed up.

This, as always, had more downs than up. She was considered immature, irritating, self-centered and in denial. Though sometimes they truly poked out, Kiara learned when to stop. There was a time and place for everything, but she'd like to crack jokes whenever they could be inserted.

With the way life worked out for her, there was a lot more times where she had to be dark and serious. They were both part of her temper that set her in balance. Kiara thought to be just 'a very emotional person to hold everyone else's feelings' for her sake, and tried her hardest to keep down the oddity in a little spot in her chest.

And, as you'll soon learn, it didn't take much to set her off.

Prying her face off the pane, she looked around at the people aboard the scarlet train. There was nothing much— a bit of small talk here and there, and other bored children squirming in their seats. She had expected a lot more from the usual bustling passengers from Central, but thought better to ignore it. Even if she were looking for a little fun, she would have most likely disapproved of the noise.

Like she had found mesmerizing the few hours before, Kiara traced her thumb over the pattern on her seat in repetitive circles.

"I wonder when the train stops," she stretched out as far and wide as her legs and arms would go, hearing the usual cracks in places. "I've been on this stupid thing for like, forty million years," she complained, looking around her empty seat.

It wasn't that Kiara hated people, she just had a lot of carry on bags to entertain her, and liked a seat all to herself. And she didn't like people sitting across from her, because it felt like they were trying to stare at you the entire ride. Simply propping up most of her suitcases and bags, she told passengers she was waiting for her family to come sit with her.

There were moments Kiara wasn't sure if she loved or hated her cute, accessible eleven-year-old features, but it had gotten her the seats none the less. The people who craved seats and sat squished gave her glares that bounced off her shoulder, but they didn't make a move to claim one again.

Kiara had been on it longer than anyone else, already stopping at one station already. She gave a hard sigh, and squirmed around to try and find a comfortable a spot.

"Why must everything be so difficult!" she yelled, turning a few heads. "This stupid train better stop, I swear," she grumbled, looking like she was talking to her bags.

A lot of people were looking at her now, and they had caught her on a bad day.

"What! _Never _seen people talk to themselves!" she called out to them, as some turned away and muttered or others kept staring. "They act as if I'm a psycho. I don't think I can talk to voices in my head, people," she mumbled, turning on her back and facing the other way.

For a while she just lay there, staring at the other vacant seat thinking. Thinking of random things like what would happen if she slipped on soap, what lima beans taste like, and how words sounded really weird when you thought about them for a long time. However, right now, she was thinking of her new guardians.

_I wonder why the military is sending me back out here,_ she curiously thought._ I thought that once you were expelled, they never wanted to see you again._

_Do they think I can help my guardians? Or are my guardians here to help me? Maybe it's some new form of taking the state alchemist test, I heard they weren't ordinary officials. I guess I'll have to wait until someone will explain something. But of course, I'm sure Colonel Mustang is going to be all sneaky. URG, I hate it when he does that! Now that I'm not in the military, I'll have to be even _more _polite to him. Well, Mustang usually has something good, and it has to be if he's doing something so weird like this._

As Kiara went back and for with her thoughts, the window outside let everyone know the afternoon was slowing dying into evening.

A sudden jolt gave away Kiara's peaceful sleep, although she kept trying to ignore the fact she was flinging out of her seat. When her head crashed into the metal leg of the seat next to her, she finally cried out in surprise. Apparently, being thrown a couple feet didn't affect her. Not until she hit something, that was.

"Ah, Jesus," Kiara swore instinctively, as she rubbed the spot with her left hand. "This thing is bulging by the second!" she screamed as it throbbed, feeling a definite bump in her skull.

"I'm sorry, we had a bit of a jolt there," a voice came into their section in a rushed, loud tone. "Is everyone all right? The train's stopped, but we're already at the station. Anyone getting off please do so now, it's OK," Kiara heard her ask in what seemed like she-didn't-truly-care type of tone.

Just after hearing the few sentences, it made her freeze. The voice sounded way too much like a certain person she didn't want to meet. Especially in a place where she couldn't defend herself from the crazy girl's attacks.

"What about you? Are you okay ma'am?" the petite slender woman tip-toed over to Kiara on her high heels.

Her silver-blonde hair swished over her thigh with bright blue eyes, and a nice smile for everyone to feel comfortable, when really it was kind of creepy.

"It depends, who are you?" Kiara asked muffled.

"I'm Ashley Yoko. Half American half Japanese, I always have to tell everyone," she could hear Ashley give off a faked laugh.

_Yeah, what were the chances this would actually happen,_ Kiara growled to herself angrily. _Did she quit school or something? Wasn't she always bragging about being a female doctor? I knew she'd never commit…._

"Then I'm not all right."

"Huh? What are you talk—" Ashley froze on her sentence when Kiara stood herself back up. "YOU!" she shrieked, pointing a shaking finger of disgust.

"Really, must we be so hostile?" Kiara tried to smile widely, fixing her hair back into place.

"WHO LET YOU ON THIS TRAIN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DANGEROUS!" Ashley starting bawling on the top of her lungs, everyone's eyes laying upon them.

"Oh, you heard about that?" Kiara chuckled, scratching her head like she did when she was nervous. "Well, it seems we've both been around, and just haven't had the time to chat."

"I'm reporting you to the main office! I'll get you this time, Nevina," her finger still waved in the air, her voice lower and venomous.

"Really, you sound like the antagonist in theatre or something. I'm allowed to be in public, I'm not a crazy killer. Hey, wait, where are you going!" Kiara called after her as she stomped off in her four-inch heels, wobbling a bit.

"Just wait till they hear this!" Ashley roared, earning more odd looks from the passengers than Kiara had received the entire time.

"Uh…it's not what you think," Kiara replied to the amazed pedestrians boarding on and off the train. "Really, I know it looked like a site, but we're old friends…enemies. It's hard to explain…." She laughed nervously, as people finally began to move on. "See? We're young, shtill do shose types of shings," she tried pulling on her red cheek, her words slurring around.

Feeling a bit flushed, she sat back down. Kiara was open, but didn't really want to be in front of random strangers who could give her the most hurtful looks. Fiddling with her thumbs, a new thought finally crossed her.

_Wait a damn minute…why'd we stop!_ She freaked, looking out her pane again quickly.

Kiara would have thought it to be her stop if she didn't remember the dreadful day-and-a-half journey out to Central, and began looking around the platform. It had already been a long time-span on the steam engine, but she would have thought to not reach her destination until much, much later that night.

Just as she expected, nothing looked like anywhere she'd been before. Many people were fancy country folk, walking back and forth in big heavy dresses and suits. It was surely not the busy buzz of Central; even after seven months she could still picture it perfectly. And this place didn't match her description at all.

As she began worrying even more, a sudden raspy voice started to speak over the intercom on the train in a low booming tone.

"Kiara Nevina, please report to the front car. Repeat, Kiara Nevina please report to the front car," it told her.

It felt kind of weird to be called down, but at the same time Kiara felt kind of cool, if you catch my drift.

_Woah…I didn't really think she'd actually do that,_ she thought in a slight amazement. _Of course, this is Ashley we're talking about._

"No worries of course," Kiara assured herself, standing up. "It's a good thing I have connections."

It wasn't long before she had inched her way to the front, even through the crowd, and because she was sitting close to the front car also. The same blue uniform that had wrapped around Ashley was also on the other two male attendants standing lazily on each side, like very bad guards.

"You!" Ashley yelled again at the site of her, just like minutes before. "Let's see you wedge your way out of this one," she snarled.

"Oh, I can really see where your life is going," Kiara replied back as sarcastic as quickly, swinging open the door in front of all of them.

It was a fairly large room, but not as big as she expected. There were a few basic levers here and there, many buttons, and two cockpit seats sunk into the floor. If she had looked to her left, she'd have seen a very big machine-like engine rumbling around fast. Not sure how everything worked, and very intrigued, she began examine it all in detail.

As she studied what looked like a pipe along the ceiling rolling back into the water gauge, someone tapped on her shoulder lightly.

"AH!" she screamed, jumping literally all the way around.

The man laughed. He could only be more than twenty, with broad shoulders, a firm stomach, and a tough figure. He had deep-set eyes the color of autumn leaves and neck-length, straight, sand-colored hair. Every time Kiara looked at him she could feel the aura of a fun loving but serious man, and that was exactly what he was.

"Long time no see, huh Nevina? I thought it was you!" he kept laughing.

"Alright, before you laugh up a storm I have something to say!" she snapped, hitting the man on the head. "First of all, this train sucks, and has crappy service. I'm suppose to be somewhere in an hour and this stupid thing has stopped freaking bloody twice already! I do not believe that any type of public service told me we were going to take another stop before we reach Central! Secondly, I have been on this thing for like, a million hours, so my butt hurts like crap. Then you have the one girl I wouldn't want to see in _another _million years stir up all this trouble and piss me off! Not to mention, I have no one to talk to, nothing to do, and I'm just dead bored!" she ranted.

"Are you done yet?" the man asked impatiently, a bored expression etched across his face.

"Yeah, I guess," Kiara shrugged, still keeping her angry glare at him.

"I can't believe you complain about crap like that," he laughed, ruffling her hair. "You're so infamous for your tedious rants of absolutely nothing, how could I forget?"

"Stop it, Yukio!" she barked, trying to shoo his hand away. "Would you listen to what I have to say at least once in your life, you stuck-up weirdo!"

"Me?" he choked, laughing again. "You're the one hassling my staff," he smiled.

"I was not!" Kiara replied in her defense. "You of all people should know how that women is, Samaru; utterly crazy," she stated again, this time using his first name.

"You never change, Kiara," Samaru gave her his one and only famous smile she could still remember from long ago.

Then again, it wasn't that long ago, really. It had only been two years since their last departure from each other, and as she kept speaking with him, she started to wonder if he had forgiven her for what happened. But she wasn't going to bring it up.

"You'd be surprised, I can barely stand you now," she growled, while slipping out of his grasp of a hug.

"Not much," he retorted coolly. "Still as short as a midget, you can't have change dramatically," he commented.

"WHY DOES EVERYONE BRING THAT UP?" she roared, throwing a fist in his direction. "I'm not that freaking short!" she stopped seconds before smashing his face.

"Because I'm about five inches taller than you, and you're eighteen!" Samaru shouted, cracking up, as he had to avoid her hand this time.

"I'm rather tall for a midget then!" she fumed in response. "So…so…yeah! Stop calling me that!"

"And guess what else?" his voice had never lowered. "You've still got that unbearable temper!"

"Two years away from you has been the light of my life!" Kiara yelled, pushing him hard.

"Hard to believe it, huh?" Samaru asked, as they finally began to cool down.

"Not that hard," she murmured, crossing her arms in slight defeat. "I knew you were here," she told him.

"Really, why didn't you come see me!" he exclaimed.

"Well, I was pretty late getting on here in the first place. And two, I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me again," Kiara answered truthfully, eyeing him like his was a lit bottle rocket in her hand.

"Why— oh right," Samaru understood what she had meant. "Hey, Kiara, listen," he said calmly with a smile. "What happened, it's in the past, I really don't think about it. Besides, we had it going for a good while anyway. You don't have to worry about it or anything, I'm fine, really," he stepped a little closer to her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in a brotherly way.

She didn't need to think to step back, which is what she did the second he touched her. "Well, I was just making sure," she lied, knowing what he had said was a lie too.

There was no way he'd be so calm after how he had acted before, but in a way, she almost wished it was true.

"Right then," he nodded, giving her that faint smile again. "So, really, we can't just chat and catch up all day, I've got things to do," he became formal suddenly. "I'll tell Ms. Yoko you two just had a misunderstanding and you can be on your way then. Oh, and we made a short stop but will be off again in about half an hour," he assured her. "We'll be at Central at the exact time you need to be there."

"Thanks, Sam," Kiara gave him a weak smile in return and turned around. "And it was nice to see you again," she added before hearing his good-bye and walking out.

While coming back out the door, she saw the same two men talking to each other casually about the station, but didn't see her furious accuser anywhere in site. She took a few minutes to meander back to her seat, seeing as she couldn't keep her eyes off all the people walking past her. After she had finally gotten back to her stuff, she looked angry at the empty seat.

"There you are again, punk," she hissed venomously.

She slid over the evil window once again, but this time her eyes met a station bustling with people. Some were rushing by, others taking their sweet time, but all seemed to her the same. They all walked the same sort of way, they all wore the same type of clothes, and they all gave each other the same facial expressions.

So used to seeing what she did everyday, Kiara resumed to looking around other places. Eventually, her eyes trailed to her feet. As she examined the outline of her bulky right foot in its blue sneaker, she twisted it in circles.

"Feels nice," she joked, then removed her shoe and its sock. "Too bad it isn't more fleshy," she smiled warmly, her mechanical foot still moving in repetitive counterclockwise circles.

"Woah, is that auto-mail!" someone from behind shouted abruptly in a demanding manner.

Kiara snapped her head up in neck-breaking speed to see a little boy in the seat in front of her, dangling his arms over her own. He could only be more than ten, with short curly pitch-black hair, chocolate brown eyes, dark brown skin, and a round young face. Obviously, he had just arrived on the train, and his parents were running up behind him almost on cue.

"Davu!" what looked like his mother grabbed him be the wrist suddenly. "We said don't run off!" she scolded him, Davu's father coming up beside her.

"But mom," he complained, twisting in her grip. "This is our seat anyway, the ticket said 249!"

"The _seat _number was 12," his father's low booming voice replied, making Davu quiet down and become flustered.

"I knew that," he muttered.

"I'm so sorry," his mother apologized instantly. "He just gets so curious…." She trailed off, her eyes begging for Kiara's forgiveness.

It took a while to process everything, but once Kiara figured out they were waiting for an answer she finally laughed.

"Hey, not a problem here," she waved it away, then turned the boy named Davu. "And this is auto-mail, to answer your question," she ruffled his hair without getting up.

The eager Davu suddenly forgot his parents and dove into her seat easily. He opened his mouth to talk right away, making Kiara chuckle.

"That's so cool! I'm getting it too!" he cried all too happily, showing her that he had a wooden right leg under his pants. "I'm stuck with this for a while, but when I get auto-mail, it's going to be awesome!" he shouted, throwing his fist in the air.

Kiara laughed. "You sure get worked up for something so bad!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" he asked confused.

"Well, it isn't the tastiest treat on the block, kid," she shook her head. "It's really expensive, and even this thing cost me a fortune; had to stop eating for a while," she began to explain as his eyes grew bigger. "You have to be awake for the surgery too, can't forget that. I'm not trying to scare you, but it hurts five times worse than when you probably lost that leg of yours," she explained.

"I don't care, I've already made up my mind," Davu replied strictly, his fists clenched in pride. "I'm sick of walking around with a leg that will barely move, so I'm going to get me a leg that works right!" he shouted determined, his eyes locked straight ahead.

"Then maybe you're prepared for what's ahead," Kiara chuckled, messing his hair.

Kiara gave him a wide smile, and he smiled back at her.

"So is yours just your foot?" he asked happily, looking at her metal that she hadn't had enough time to cover.

"Yeah, just this little thing. Thank God it was nothing big," she replied, lifting it up for the little boy to get a better look at it.

"Cool!" he cried like he had earlier, his childish voice high and excited. "How'd you lose it?"

"Davu, the young lady wouldn't want to talk about it," his mother intervened said respectfully, but looking impatient to get moving.

"Oh, that's quite alright," Kiara gave her a reassuring smile. "I lost it when I was a State Alchemist, in an experiment gone wrong," she told them truthfully.

For a second, she closed her eyes, getting ready to wince. There were so many people who hated State Alchemists…she wasn't sure how their reaction would be to her. While waiting gingerly, she finally heard a reply.

"You can't be a State Alchemist!" Davu yelled, bewildered. "You're only twenty!" he caused a few people to give a second glance at them.

"Ho ho, buddy, I'm eighteen!" she smiled, and then paused. It took a moment, but she knew she'd have to get it out and get used to saying it. "I lost my license a few months ago," she looked down, a bit ashamed of herself.

_It would be best if those memories weren't brought back,_ Kiara told herself.

"Oh," he realized, going quiet along with her. "Well…I didn't lose mine in an accident like that," he whispered, trying to divert the conversation away from the bad moment. "I got hit by a car."

It was funny how he didn't sound depressed like her. In fact, he didn't sound angry or scared or any of the emotions you'd expect from a boy like him. Of course, there wasn't a sense of happiness ringing out in his sentence, but just blatant honesty. A simple statement.

"But I deserved it," he went on. "I shouldn't have run in the middle of the road," he explained, with the same tone.

"Now wait a minute!" Kiara cut in, startling him out of his state. "You should never say those kind of things! It couldn't have been your fault; it was a complete accident! You can't blame yourself, you never know when things like that will happen. It's NOT your fault," she lectured him, pointing an angry finger towards his innocent face.

"You sure have such strong feelings," his mother muttered quietly, but Kiara caught it anyway. It was meant to be good, but if it wasn't, Kiara still carried on.

"It's my number one rule," she relaxed her face and tense shoulders a bit more. "I've seen a whole lot of shit in my day, but the one thing that keeps moving, even if sometimes I have to lie to myself, is that it wasn't my fault," she stated calmly. "Oh, excuse my language!" she finally noticed she had just cursed with her philosophy.

"That's okay, daddy says it _all_ the time!" Davu shook his head vigorously with a wide innocent smile.

"Alright, Davu," his father cut in instantly, picking him up and out of the seat. "Time to leave the poor young miss," Kiara watched as they pulled themselves together.

As the began to walk away, the mother seemed hesitant to move anymore, and turned back around to say one last thing.

"Whatever you're looking for, I pray you find it too," she gave her a knowing smile.

Kiara returned the gesture, wishing that soon the boy Davu would get what he wanted.

After all, she had just received the most gracious gift from their family— hope.

* * *

REVIEW OR DIE. No, just kidding, just kidding. BUT SERIOUSLY, REVIEW MY EDITED CHAPTER BECAUSE IT TOOK FOREVER TO DO AND I FOUND IT RATHER TEDIOUS. Love you all soooooo much. Oh, and I don't know about you, but this font showed up small, so just change it at the top of like you would normally do. 


	3. Deadly First Impressions

**_Disclaimer:_ Well does it look like I have enough brain power to come up with all this amazing plot and details? I think not! Props shall go to Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of Full Metal Alchemist, which I do not own.**

**

* * *

**

_**CHAPTER 3: DEADLY FIRST IMPRESSIONS**_

"Land!" Kiara Nevina cried, throwing herself on the ground while tossing her luggage aside. Sure people were staring, but she didn't care! It had taken _forever_ to get off that stupid train.

Happily, she pulled herself up and picked up her luggage. "Now the tricky part," she said to herself but aloud. "Finding my guardians, because that bastard Mustang doesn't think he has enough time to give me their name! DAMN YOU MUSTANG!" she shrieked oddly, having even more people to stare at her in utter astonishment. But they always stared; she was used to it by now.

"Someone who hates Mustang obviously must know him," a voice from behind spoke.

She spun around; to see the oddest, offset people she had ever met.

There was a boy, who was so short he looked like he was eight. For some odd reason, his hair was very long in a golden yellow color,long enough for him to wear it in a single braid that rested on his back. He had a boyish round face, and deep golden eyes. _Hmm, golden eyes are weird but at the same time amazingly pretty,_ Kiara instantly thought as he stood and let her study his features. He wore a red coat, with sleeves falling over white gloves. It wasn't closed all the way, but all she could see was a lot of shiny black. A black coat that was covering another shirt, a thick brown belt that stood offset from the rest, _really_ shiny black pants, and black combat (wee combat!) boots.

There was some sort of man standing next to him. She wasn't sure. This would have to be the fact it was a huge suit of armor standing at about six feet, with spikes jolting up every here and there and a loin cloth wrapped around his/her middle. He, or maybe she, looked oddly scary, and people passing by were staring in wide eyes. Kiara turned to the people for a second, and noticed this. She knew how that felt like, to have everyone stare at her like some sort of freak. Kiara frowned for a moment, and sent a small quick gaze of sympathy in his direction, not saying anything though.

After a nice thorough check she smiled freakishly wide- these people were weird looking. VERY weird looking. And she loved weird…

"Umm…" the blonde-haired person stuttered, obviously feeling weird underneath her gaze. "Are you Kiara…N-N-Nevina?" he asked.

"Yeeeeeees?" she extended her sentence, with big eyes. "And who are yoooooou?" she knew she was scaring them, but paid no attention to the fact.

"I'm Edward Elric, but you can call me Ed if you wish. I'm you guardian I believe. This is my brother, Alphonse Elric, but he just goes by Al" the boy named Ed introduced firmly, but never extending his hand. "And if you don't stop that freaky stare I'm going to kill you!" he cracked, trying to lunge at her.

Instinctively, Al grabbed the back of his coat just in time, before Kiara was sure she would be hit unexpectedly.

"Oh, sorry then," she quickly wiped the scary smile from her face. "So, you people are my guardians…_you_ guys are State Alchemists?" she asked raising her eyebrows in suspicion.

"Only brother" the suit of armor replied. It took Kiara back a little bit, she found it eerie, it was so hollow and empty, but full of the child-like aura. But at the same time, the small kid inside the armor sounded sort of depressed in a way, although he wasn't meaning to, it just sounded that way.

"You do realize, you got like, a four year old in that armor?" she questioned.

"What!" Ed yelled angrily. "He's sixteen thank-you very much! Not to mention six feet tall!" Ed tried to call in Al's defense.

"Sorry!" Kiara held up her hands to stop him from doing anything drastic. "He just sounds so…little. Like a little boy" she smiled oddly.

"Really? You still think I sound like I little boy, not a huge menacing suit of armor?" Al asked hopefully.

"A bit…hey wait a minute" she paused, revising what he just said._ His voice is hollow,_ she thought. _Odd, how can your voice be hollow? Is there a lot of space in there? Why is he even dressed like that?_ Kiara wondered again, then snapped out of it.

"Well, I guess we should be er- going" Ed said abruptly, turning around.

"That's it?" Kiara questioned, jogging a bit to catch up.

"Well, what do you want? A freaking cookie?" Ed suddenly snapped angrily, his attitude changing greatly.

"Yes, actually I would," Kiara stated coldly, crossing her arms.

"I er- don't umm…have one" he sent her an odd stare.

"Then why wold you ask me? Why would you ask me if I wanted one if you don't have one! WHY ARE YOU LYING! I WANT A COOKIE!" she screamed insanely, and Ed had to clamp a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't make a scene.

"You are so freaky!" he hissed, letting go of her.

She smiled slyly, as he walked faster and lost her behind him. _With him so close, I just realized he's kind of cute, _she thought giddy and giggled slightly.

"What?" Al asked blankly, now in step with her, hearing her girly giggle.

"Your brother is very attractive" Kiara told him plainly, no hint of embarrassment.

"What?" Al practically screamed, this time not asking.

"Well, if you hadn't heard me earlier I said-" but Al cut her off.

"No I heard you, it's just- no one- and he never- I- you- him-" but Al couldn't finish a single sentence.

Kiara laughed, loudly.

"What are you two doing?" Ed spoke loudly, for he was a few feet ahead of them.

"I was just saying how very- well, good-looking you were!" Kiara yelled back, knowing more than just the two had heard her.

"What?" Ed said, exactly like Al had done. "I- er-" he had stopped dead in his tracks, so Kiara and Al were able to catch upwith him. She stared at him with a total innocent face, with no hint of red on her cheeks what-so-ever. "Then- you- but shouldn't- not caring- I- you- er-" he paused for a moment, going purple for he was already so red. In the lowest voice ever possible, with his ears turning scarlet, he whispered, "Thank-you, I er-suppose," with Al clinging to every word that was spoken.

It was very quiet after that, VERY quiet. No one made a sound as they walked back to Central. (Which made Kiara wonder why they couldn't just take a cab) The silence was eerie, and full of tension. Al kept ringing his hands, although no sweat could be seen seeping through the armor, and Ed kept glancing at Kiara, still not believing what she had clearly spoken. Just about forty times later, Kiara saw from the corner of her eye, Ed was a giving a teensy smile- barely visible. Obviously, he must not have gottenflattery like that before, which made Kiara wonder nervously.

_There are the good-looking people, and then people we only think are good-looking because we like them. But, heavens in hell I can't believe I just said that! Yeah, I ain't usually nervous, but for Christ's sake! I just told a damn person he was hot! Without getting all flustered! How- I can't believed- erg! Well, look at him,_ Kiara thought, finally looking all the way over to Ed._ You got to admit, he ain't very ugly, and he's got pretty features if you get around to it. You know, golden eyes are an offset feature, but still amazingly beautiful. I'm just wondering why I feel attracted enough to say that aloud three minutes after we meet. Ah, three minutes, that's faster than Samaru, who used to hold the record. Ah well, you've been beaten Samaru, I'm finally over you,_ Kiara revisited her memories of her old boy-friend. (Bet you didn't see that one coming!) _The only problem is he's like, three feet shorter than me. Okay, probably only a few inches...taller... But I'm five four! I know he looks taller now, but he's got boots on and I'm counting that antenna of hair he's got. If we measured his actual height, THEN I would be taller! Mwuahahahahaha!_ Kiara had awhile to adjust to her new surroundings, which looked just the same as last time.

There were huge buildings standing at about a few stories high, then little stores where you would buy your food. From markets to industrial buildings, all of these were included in Central, and that's what Kiara liked about it. The streets were always buzzing around, full of happy excited people wanting to get to their destination, and all of them seemed to make a roaring noise when put together.Although Kiara had been here many times, and even lived here for a few months, there was always something to see. She had never covered all the ground, so as they walked from the gates, she looked at all the little stores, and listened in on people's conversations.

"I want it mommy!" a screaming, kicking boy grabbed at the window, as a desperate mother tried to pull him off.

"For the last time Matthew, NO!" she cried, still trying to pull the stubborn boy away.

"Mama, if I raise enough money for the windows can you buy me that?" another much less greedy boy asked, in what looked like tattered hand-me-down clothes. He was eying a little lollypop in awe as the mother smiled warmly at him.

"Maybe William, we'll see."

A lot of people had their children with them, and Kiara gave a teensy smile.

It was sort of at peace, even though you couldn't think clearly, and Kiara closed her eyes for a fleeting moment. Only too bad for her, because a fleeting moment was all she needed to run right smack dab into someone, hard enough for her to fall over.

"I'm sorry!" she cried quickly, looking at the other person.

A little girl was on the ground, with her mother, who had stopped to watch as the little girl stood up. She wore her hair in a braid that reached all the way to her waist. It was almost white it was such a light blonde, and she had pale, pale skin to go along with it. She had big mysterious gray eyes and a petite figure. If she would have had red eyes, Kiara might have mistaken her for a little Ishball girl. No more than six or seven, she gasped when she looked at Kiara.

"Are you alright?" Kiara asked worried, taking her hand.

The girl in return just stared at her, with no words.

"Umm…well, I'll be going" she gave a nervous laughed and stood up.

Ed and Al eyed her weirdly, as they stood there waiting for her to keep moving, which she did. But as soon as she was at least two feet away from the awkward scene, something small and merciless pulled at her shirt. Kiara looked down again to see the little girl, hanging off her shirt with a weak grasp.

"My name's Arianna!" she piped up in a squeaky voice. "What's yours?"

Kiara smiled widely, this Arianna did not only have the most beautiful voice she had ever heard, but was just absolutely adorable. "Well, I'm Kiara Nevina" she responded, feeling like a child herself when she spoke.

"That's a pretty name!" Arianna squeaked again, sounding small and insignificant.

Kiara sent a gaze over to Ed and Al, and found Ed smiling at the girl. She knew if she could see Al, he was probably smiling also. Not even men themselves couldn't admit that this was cutest scene to ever take place, with her big wondering eyes and sudden features.

"I just want to say your pretty!" Arianna shouted without a hint of embarrassment. "Why are you so pretty?" she asked again, with a furiously blushing Kiara. "Do you have to do a magic spell? Or do you drink a potion? Because I want to look just like you! Just like you!" Kiara could tell Arianna had a big imagination, which would get her far.

So Kiara leaned down to her height and smiled gingerly. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" she began. "Which means everyone sees someone else in a different light. And even though you want to look like me, I think-" -Kiara paused again, and looked up to her mother, who was smiling greatly- "You are just as beautiful as you are. In your own a unique way" Kiara explained.

"But I want red curls and pretty eyes with different colors" she whispered, her little fist grasping onto her hair.

"Everyone is beautiful, remember that" Kiara smiled and stood up. "And if I see you again Arianna, I'll be sure to say hello" she smiled and turned around.

"Thank-you!" the girl cried after her, but Kiara knew her mother had ordered her to say that in respect.

It was again silent, until Ed smirked and scoffed.

"What?" Kiara asked, as Al trudged on her left.

"Everyone is beautiful eh? You really think that?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes, I do. I have strong beliefs. If you didn't exactly catch the line, I didn't say everyone is_ physically_ beautiful. You could be some sort of beast with horns for all I care, but you would still have a beautiful heart" Ed smirked again at this ridiculous saying. "You think its funny but I didn't pull it out of some book! People like me don't get this pretty by thinking they're ugly, now do they?" she snapped in a cocky way.

"Whatever you say" he shrugged.

_Oh, _Kiara thought, realizing a shocker. _He was probably talking about Al…_ she looked over to Al, tracing her eyes up and down him._ Yes, actually, I believe Alphonse is beautiful. Even if I don't know him yet, everyone starts out beautiful. It's up to them if they want to stay that way…Hmm,_ Kiara smiled, and suppressed a laugh that would lead to questions. _It **does** sound like I pulled that out of a book,_ she thought good heartily, and continued to walk the rest of the way with them.

After a good solid while, Kiara ended up moaning. "Seriously, we can't grab a freaking cab!" she complained.

"Left me wallet at home" Ed replied casually, with a shrug.

"Erg! TAXI!" she shouted in the street, pulling her hand out.

The one thing she loved about Central was the people. They were obsessed with making money, so regularly, six cabs tried to pull up next to them. She heard a triumphant cry from the driver on the inside.

"Though a lady shouldn't have to pay," Kiara emphasized; "A lady shouldn't have to walk so freaking long!" she jumped in and slid over.

"Umm…" Ed paused, as he sat down. "We can't exactly do this," he replied hastily.

"Why- Oh, Al" she realized bluntly.

"I won't fit" Al explained; though she already noticed this.

"Yes" Kiara stated simply.

"Uh, no" Ed replied angrily.

"YES!" she leaned over Ed's lap and tugged fiercely on Al's arm.

After at least a good five minutes Kiara found herself crushed in place, but felt even worse for Ed, who happened to be in the middle.

"Are you done yet?" the driver asked irritably, wanting to get a move on.

"Yes, we- are" Kiara managed to choke out.

"I would rather have walked" a wheezy voice came out from Ed, who sucked in his cheeks. But, the road wasn't too bumpy, and in a good solid twenty minutes of bone crushing they were finally filing out of the car. "Half and hour and I already hate you" Ed barked grumpily, rubbing his aching sides.

"Love you too good-looking!" she winked and ran up the steps, leaving Ed and Al to deal with her luggage. She knew if she would haveturned around Ed would be blushing profoundly, because her remark hadn't been sarcastic, and Al would be trying to carry all seven ridiculously heavy bags all by himself.

Kiara knew the halls all too well; it was just so simple for her to wind her way up to Mustangs office, hoping Ed and Al were tagging behind. (Because she wouldn't look back) Right after she explained herself a couple of times to some military officials, she was barging through the door, and jumping on top of Mustang's desk, scaring the crap out of him.

"Jesus!" he cried, practically falling out of his chair.

"Roy, my good fellow, I see they haven't fired you yet!" she called cheerfully, as an angry Ed and Al walked in with her suitcases.

"Make a nice comment and run off so we'll carry this crap eh?" Ed shouted, with Al placing a hand on his shoulder in caution. "I can't believe we are stuck with you, for three weeks," he sighed, giving Mustang an evil glare.

"Well, at least you took the comment as a nice one" she said slyly, only doing it to watch him go quiet and maybe turn a bit red. She spun back around to face Mustang. "So anyway, I would like to have a word with you, Mr. Don't-tell-Kiara-practically-anything-even-though-it's-her-life" Kiara fumed, gritting her teeth.

"If you would remove that lovely ass of my desk, we shall" he smirked mockingly, making Kiara scowl. "That's suppose to mean leave Full Metal" Mustang rolled his eyes at the Elric who didn't understand.

"Fine! Tell her everything but not us!" Ed shouted angrily.  
"It's my life God damn it, I am suppose to know everything!" Kiara cried dramatically, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I- er-" Ed faltered.

"We'll be in our room if you need us Kiara-sama. Let us know if you need to go somewhere," Al said respectfully, forcing Ed out of the room, who was reluctant to leave.

"Now that they're gone," Mustang paused, making sure no one was listening in. "I think we should discuss the matter, sit down" he ordered.

"Why do you have to have your dogs watching me?" Kiara hissed, instantly changing her attitude greatly.

"Oh, but you know!" Mustang laughed cruelly. "After what you did it seemed almost stupid to let you go. But now that I've heard your name as a witness to the latest crimes, I can have enough proof to put a watch on you" he spitted hatefully, leaning back in his chair.

"You should know I had nothing to do with those!" Kiara hissed again venomously. "The woman involved is a damn friend, and she knew I had it in with the military from earlier records. She isn't a good friend to have, because she finds it amusing to add random people to the scene for enjoyment" Kiara lowered her voice, making sure no one could hear now. "Sure you can't keep me under your eye, but you know those damn rules I have to live by. I have been stationed just outside of Rush Valley, and you know that" she snapped quickly. "Unless shopping and fresh air are included, I have been nowhere near those places!"

"And exactly how do you expect me to believe that?" Mustang asked cruelly. "No proof, and certainly not even a witness to where you were supposedly 'stationed.' How do you make me believe?" he asked casually.

"Well, I do know the woman responsible" Kiara rolled her eyes, not believing Mustang hadn't learned that yet.

"Name?" he asked blankly, pulling out a pen and a piece of paper.

"I told you, she's a friend" Kiara ground her teeth together hardly.

"You just said she was a horrible friend! She added you for amusement!" Mustang cried, not believing Kiara was taking the woman's side.

"You don't understand"

"Make me understand"

"I can't. Just, maybe-" Kiara paused for a second. _I have to beat her at her own game, but she knows I'll be the one to go fetch her…might as well play along with her. If she wants to see me bad, then I should see what's going on,_ Kiara decided. "Liana, Liana Kong" she answered finally, with pride.

"Good" Mustang scribbled down her name hastily.

"But," Kiara added, "Since I gave you the name, I get something in return"

He rose his eyebrows a little bit, then thought it over. "Alright" he decided.

"Give me the case. At least I know I won't just try and arrest her, I'll interview her."

"First of all, you are not a State Alchemist Nevina, you have no authority. And second, you aren't allowed to take jobs, and you can't drag Full Metal and Alphonse with you" he snapped hatefully.

"First of all," Kiara mocked in a high voice, making fun of him. "You give the position to Ed, he has to take it by order. Second of all, I believe I get anything I want anyway."

Mustang huffed, she could see he was giving in. "Fine, I might have the wrong name anyway" he gave in, letting his shoulders fall down in defeat. "But, keep in mind, you arrest her if she's guilty, no friendship crap. But, knowing you that most likely won't stop you" Mustang smirked, knowing he hit a weak spot with the last sentence, and knowing a little bit about her past.

"I am loyal to the ones I love" Kiara growled lowly. "You can never again say that, I would protect anyone with my life" she whispered dangerously, clenching her teeth repeatedly.

"What about your poor old mother?" he asked quietly, thinking he had won.

"She was no family or friend of mine" Kiara spat venomously. "And you don't even know the rest!" she yelled, feeling her temper rise.

"Well, if you would just tell me…" Mustang asked slowly, sensing her rocket to go off any minute. This was the part where he mentioned Kiara telling him, and for some odd reason she'd go ballistic on him. It was her short fuse, and no one knew why.

"I TOLD YOU FOR THE LAST TIME, I WILL NEVER BRING UP THAT HORRIBLE SCENE AGAIN! YOU SHOULDN'T KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW, AND I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO LET YOU KNOW! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK YOU HAVE TO RIGHT TO THAT PRIVATE INFORMATION YOU BASTARD! JUST DROP DEAD AND GO TO HELL SO I CAN CELEBRATE! AND IF YOU EVER,** EVER** BRING THAT UP AGAIN AROUND ME, AND TRY AND BLAME ME, I'LL SHOVE MY FOOT UP YOUR ASS! AND I WILL! I DON'T WORK FOR YOU ANYMORE!"

Although every second she was fuming with rage, feeling the heat rise off her face, the steam coming out of her ears, it felt great to vent out her stress. It might have seemed odd that Kiara was like this, and you might even accuse her of being a drama queen, but such wasn't the case. Her life used to always be filled with happiness, laughing, fun, and just plain weirdness. But over the past few years, her life was getting too serious and dark for her to act that way; giving her short tempers and violent actions. She didn't like it this way, but she couldn't help it. Now, that it was so natural, she was getting worse with her emotions. They would go up and down like a roller coaster even if the problem wasn't too big.

Before anything could move or speak, Kiara was out of that door like a magician in a puff of smoke. But, unlike the magician who stays silent, she sent Mustang a nice loud surprising bang of the door being slammed in his face.

"Deadly first impressions are going around" Kiara scowled, still feeling too angry to smile and joke.

* * *

Yes, well, review my little readers! What the hell, no one is reading these...grumble Shame too, I think I'm a decent writer. Just pointing out, the people that add like, a shit load of detail are crappy writers. When you spend six paragraphs describing on how the Sun rises up, it BORES your reader to death. It isn't fancy and emotional, it's confusing! Who agrees with me! Then when you add such little all the events go flying by and the reader has no idea what is going on, because the whole story was explained in one paragraph.

Well, listen to me rant...I only put this here so I could tell you I don't own Arianna. (ar-e-on-uh) Well, actually, I do, but in a way I don't. Airianna is my best-friend, so I wasn't mimicking Edward's looks if that's what you think. (the blonde braidedhair..) She's actually Albino, (hence the gray eyes...sheused to have red. Don't know why theydisapeared...)and thirteen years old instead of five. Anyways, I thought she would be such a cute little girl- anime style. CHIBI! But unlike the shy Arianna in my story, the real one is so obnoxious. I don't remember a time when she has shut-up, it drives me crazy...love ya Death! (it's her nick-name for being so pale...)


	4. An Explanation Would Bring Shame

**_DISCLAIMER: If I owned Himoru, then Full Metal Alchemist would be mine! Mwuhahahahhahahaha...am I the only one who has knowledge about this woman? I swear... did anyone know she gre grew up on a dairy farm on and island in Japan,so it's why she draws herself as a cow? LOOK IT UP IN THE INTERNETENCYCLOPEDIA!

* * *

a/n: (a.k.a author's note) I would like to take the time to say, I have recorded FMA! Yay! Yeah, laugh at me now because it's on a VHS tape, but I don't have cable here,and the few days I'm with my dad he won't let me watch it because it's "Too late!" 1 in the morning is not late on a school night! So, I have posted a new chapter, in celebration of this wonderful day. Er- I watched this Naruto thing, and it was sooooooo sad. All I'm saying. But Sasuke and Narutoheld fingers sorta and smiled, and they were so kawai'i 'cause they were only ittle wittle! Oh and then Naruto's seal broke and Sasuke also has a demon in him and...wait a minute. This is FMA, on with the story!_**

* * *

_Chapter 4: An Explanation Would Bring Shame_

It was an awkward silence for the two woman walking, because usually they would chat. They had known each other for only a few months, but felt very comfortable with sharing their social problems, but they also stayed very business like. The two could be set as a pair of very friendly workers. That's why it was a little weird for them to be quiet, especially since they had a lot to catch up on.

"So Riza…" Kiara trailed off, trying to think of a subject.

"That's First Lieutenant Hawkeye, Ms. Nevina" the woman with blonde hair snapped, never looking her in the eye.

"First Lieutenant!" Kiara called surprised, being in a very taken aback situation. "I- where-" but she was too cautious to say the wrong sentence. "I'm sorry" she finally muttered, staring at her feet.

If Kiara had been around Riza Hawkeye's age, or in a lower military rank, she would have treated her strict, exactly like she had planned to do when Kiara arrived. Unfortunately, Riza had a soft spot for children.

"N-Never mind what I said Kiara" Riza sighed, relaxing her shoulders. She just couldn't be formal with this girl.

Kiara prepped up considerably greater, smiling and throwing her head back. "Well then," Kiara smiled. "How have you been? What'cha been up to?" she asked friendly, awaiting the answer.

"Sadly, that's classified information" Riza responded, and Kiara understood.

"So, something's actually happening around here?" Kiara asked suspicios.

"Yes, of course. I can't fill you in, but I'm sure you've heard of the Kong case. Mustang let me in on that" Riza spoke casually, as they winded their way down the halls, searching for Kiara's new room.

"You bet. The one going to check it out is yours truly" Kiara smiled cockily, as Riza let a stunned emotion bestow across her face.

"He let you?" she asked incredulously. "He is not allowed to do that! If he gets caught- oh, I'll have a word with him…" Riza mumbled hotly, going into her own little rant.

"Go ahead and try, but you aren't stopping me. I know Liana; she's a tough one she is. You can't get no ordinary official to prance out there and ask questions. You're lucky if you get away alive, she doesn't like many people. Why, I'm not sure if she kept me alive because we were best-friends, or I know a lot of stuff that will get her in deep shit" Kiara stated, thinking of her life with Liana. "I can tell you this though, she's so smooth not even the military has caught her before"

"Not anymore, we caught her this time" said Riza.

"Yeah right!" Kiara laughed coldly. "She let herself get caught, just enough where no one would get any information, but to contact me. Unless you've known her for seventeen years, it would be hard to learn how that witch's mind works. I barely understand her as it is. Being weird has its advantages at times" she pointed out, then smiled, thinking of herself.

"I still don't understand how you still like this woman" Riza pointed out blankly.

"We shared too many years together, can't let it die. I sort of can't leave the past, and it's a bad trait" Kiara sighed, as they finally reached a hallway with doors.

"Here" Riza pulled out a key, once they were in front of a door, fourth one on the right. "Room seven has been provided for you. If you're looking for the Elric's room, they're the floor above you, number fourteen" Riza explained, the flung open the door.

"The floor above? What happens if I need to go somewhere urgent, like, in three seconds?" Kiara complained, stepping in her room.

"Run fast" Riza replied quickly, then shut the door fast.

As always, Kiara saw what she usually did. A bed, a nightstand next to it, and a couch pushed against the wall. Her luggage, she noticed, was scatter throughout the room, like someone had thrown it straight in from the door.

"Damn him, this one opened!" Kiara fumed, running over to the slightly ajar suitcase. "Tee-hee!" she squealed as she looked down opon her night clothes of which both had a frog theme- a long pair of pants, and a tee-shirt.

For the next hour, Kiara sifted through her stuff, putting things in the closet and under the bed. She had brought her own bed cover set (that consumed two of the seven suitcases) of a light lavender color, with blue blended in it. Her pillow cases were a baby blue, as she hastily slip them over the dirty looking ones.

"Do you think they'd let me paint Mr. Yuki?" she asked her plant on the window pane.

Kiara wasn't exactly sure how long she had Mr. Yuki, but he had always been her little plant. He used to be a beautiful plant with luscious green leaves, stunning rose colored blossoms in a silver pot full of rich soil. Sadly, Kiara had knocked over the pot, and when she replanted Mr. Yuki he had to deal with regular dry dirt from an old parking lot. And, he had gotten on in years (Yes, plants can live that long. I still have my plant from the fourth grade) and was now just a short little plant with petite green leaves who had stopped blossoming two years ago. Still, he was Mr. Yuki, and Kiara could always talk to him. Plus, he always agreed with her, and when she was angry with him, he wouldn't talk back…go figure.

"If they let me paint, I'd go maroon" she thought happily, jumping on her bed. "Of course, I'd do a little shopping and get me a better bed spread. Maybe a crimson one…" she figured, imagining it all in her mind. "So then, it would be a bit dark, because I don't want a light crappy maroon. Obviously, we'll have to get more lights, maybe those kind that you stick in the ceiling, whatever they're called. Oh, and a desk! I want a desk for when I write! Oh yeah, and we could have spinning chairs! Everyone loves spinning chairs!" she shouted happily, kind of losing herself. "And the lights would no doubt be able to dim, yes, dim lights are the only way. Hell, while we're at it, a ceiling fan wouldn't be to bad; it's always to damn hot in the summer. Yet, it's spring right now so it's a nice temperature; we won't worry about that yet. Yes, I think that's a fine idea, don't you?" she questioned, and surprisingly got an answer.

"Talking to yourself Nevina?" someone, asked amused.

She hadn't realized that the door was cracked, and that now, standing in the doorway was Ed and Al.

"No, talking to my plant" she turned to Mr. Yuki and smiled. "Mr. Yuki, meet Edward and Alphonse Elric. Edward and Alphonse Elric, meet Mr. Yuki, my beautiful plant. Well, he used to be prettier" she introduced them, standing up and stroking one of Mr. Yuki's leaves.

"That's…scary" Ed replied, looking a little freaked out.

"He's beautiful on the inside you racist!" she cried angrily, trying her best to hug Mr. Yuki without messing him up. "We don't like Edward" she hissed in the plant's middle, being very quiet so they couldn't hear. "He's very bad…yes I'm sorry Mr. Yuki, I understand" she spoke normally, so they could hear. "No one can be pretty AND smart. Only me," she whispered quietly again so only the plant could hear.

"Umm…that's great how you can socialize with physically anything…" Al spoke up, having trouble finding the right words. "But we're here to tell you that we'll be going out soon. Probably in a few days to look for someone" said Al, only he didn't tell her why or where.

"You mean Liana Kong, who's really going to be interviewed by me. That idiot of a Colonel didn't tell you, did he?" Kiara replied, never taking her eyes of her gorgeous plant.

"Listen here!" Ed cried frustrated. "I'm the State Alchemist, not you, got that? I will do this, not you! And besides, it's your fault we're getting so off track from what we are suppose to be doing!" he fumed, but Kiara was barely listening.

She only heard the last part, and it intrigued her. "What were you two doing before?" she asked curiously.

Al looked like he was about to answer, but Ed cut him short. "None of your business if we can help it. But, just so you know, if we have to go somewhere, you're going to have to come with us" he explained, sounding like she had no choice.

"What if I don't want to go on some wild goose chase with you?" she snapped.

"Then we'll force you to!" barked Ed, rising himself on the tip of his toes. "We are your guardians, you listen to what we have to say!"

"WELL YOU KNOW WHAT!" Kiara asked rhetorically, shouting and looking very red. "WAFFLES, THAT'S WHAT!"

"What the hell! WOULD YOU QUIT BEING SO FREAKING WEIR-" but Ed had tried to lunge at her, so Al had quickly grabbed of hold of him, wrapping his hand right around his mouth.

"Looks like this will be fun!" Kiara laughed crazy, tossing her head in the air. "Elric, you just met your match. A weird person. Laugh now, but we can be real hell" she warned, then dropped to the floor.

They watched interested and confused at the same time as she whipped out a piece of chalk, and began to draw a transmutation circle.

"Nothing can be taken from this world, unless we give something back" Kiara muttered to herself, drawing a formula. "It's a fair trade. You give something to God, and he gives you something different. Of course, this can't apply to everything" she mumbled, frantically working. "Scientists have been working on this magical wonder for years, giving it the name 'alchemy.' At first it was just transforming regular metals to gold for wealth, but eventually they realized, wouldn't it apply to other mass?" she questioned, still talking too quickly for either Ed or Al to keep up. "This theory was correct of course, and the little diddling with gold has evolved into some people's way of life. The circle, is the base of everything when you perform alchemy. Without it, it most surely could not be performed correctly, which could lead in a horrible cause. But, if you draw the right formula on top of it," -she paused, grabbed a pencil, a notebook, and a useless chain off of her nightstand- "and convert the right objects," –Kiara laid them of top of the circle- "it can entertain you for hours." she finally said audibly, as the circle began to glow.

Kiara smiled happily as her supplies that had once been in her hand had now transformed into a puppy marionette doll. "And, there are the people who learn the right transmutation circles that can change the ordinary into extraordinary" she laughed happily, while playing with the strings.

She made him run and wag his tail with the many strings attached, and soon began engaged in it.

"Wow, you made a child's toy with the laws of alchemy, I'm in awe" Ed finally spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Why learn alchemy unless you want to have fun?" Kiara questioned, then paused. "Yet, there are exceptions…" she wandered off into thought, and then something hit her. "Wait, how old are you guys?" she questioned, snapping her head up.

"I'm sixteen, and brother is seventeen. He's the older one," Alphonse replied, still standing in the doorway, whereas Ed had begun to fiddle with Kiara's marionette.

"Ha! I'm eighteen!" Kiara cried happily.

"And yet you're shorter than me!" Ed cried, seeming a little too happy about it. "I told you Al! Somewhere out there, somewhere!" said Ed triumphantly, and Al looked like he rolled his eyes.

"Nothing is funny about my height" Kiara muttered hotly. "Besides, you got boots on, not fair" she murmured again, going a bit red with anger. Still, Ed couldn't hear her, and began to fiddle with her marionette again.

"Don't you have parents?" she immediately regretted saying that after seeing the look on their faces.

Still, Ed sucked it up and answered. "Mom's dead, dad's a bastard" he spoke simply.

"Brother!" Al called angrily, looking at him.

"Well, if you call a man who left his family and didn't even return for his wife's funeral a saint, go ahead!" Ed shouted, looking much angrier than she had seen him before.

"I'm sorry," said Kiara instantly, hoping the two brothers wouldn't get in an argument.

"Don't be. What's your story?" Ed asked, turning the tables on her.

"Putting in lightly, my mom's dead, and I've been searching for my father. He ran away from me after an incident, but I've had to put off his search for awhile" Kiara sighed, standing up and walking back over to her bed.

Ed and Al had only been here to inform her about Liana, but as they moved further and further away from that subject, they all began to learn more about each. This was good, because the first hour Kiara had met them they didn't tell her anything, and she felt that if they were going to be together for three weeks they should know a little background to each.

"What do you mean your dad ran away?" Al asked, finally stepping into her room and sitting down on the couch.

"Well, I used to be a State Alchemist" Kiara told them, but had a feeling they already knew. "I kind of became one to perform something, which ended up working out. But in return, in made my father fear me" she explained, and watched the two brothers go bug-eyed for a moment. "He wasn't suppose to see…that day," she said shamefully, turning away from them. She regained her strength, as the Elric brothers sat in silence, not ushering her to hurry. "But," she gulped and took a breath, and paused again. "He did. So he ran away. Then the stupid military took my precious watch away from me, and sent me to an assigned home. Then my friend Liana Kong, you know the girl got in deep shit or something happened, needs to see me, and so she brought back here. And this is barely adding detail" Kiara sighed, finally able to look back at them. "What about you?" she asked, watching as Ed discarded the marionette and joined Al on the couch.

"A lot of stuff happened" Al whispered, looking down at his hands. "So now we're here. Brother is the State Alchemist, not me. He's got an auto-mail left leg and right foot. And that's barely going into detail" Al stated, looking over to Ed.

"Really?" she asked, automatically slipping on her shoe. "I've got an auto-mail right foot," she said as she slip off her sock.

"Really?" Ed asked some-what interested, examining it.

"Yeppers, but it ain't exactly my pride and joy. Was an alchemy accident that umm…well, I needn't go into detail" Kiara stutter a bit, and while saying this sitting upright on her bed and holding her foot up.

"Did you just say, yeppers?" Al asked, sounding confused.

"Something wrong?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing" he answered quickly. He tried to say the next sentence to where only Ed could hear, but she overheard him anyway. "Just sounds like something a kid would say. Are you sure she's eighteen?" he whispered lightly, sounding a bit rude.

"I got lots of wrong words! Like poopsicles, shwaness, meka leka hi, meka hiny hiny ho, and fhqwhgads," she smiled.

"Fa-who-do-gags?" Al asked incredulously.

"Fa-who-goo-gads" Kiara pronounced. "I'm not exactly sure what they mean, but it's a great word. It's a noun, but that's all I know," she smiled oddly.

"I wouldn't ask where she got it from Al" Ed spoke quickly, and Al hushed up.

Kiara noticed that Ed's auto-mail was covered up. The long jacket and white glove covered his arm, and his pants covered his legs. Sure, you couldn't see hers' either, but that was because she had to wear shoes!

"Take off your glove Ed," Kiara stated simply, and he did so.

She hopped off the bed and, standing up, examined it in the palm of her own hand. It looked complex, much like her foot, and it intrigued her. In curiosity, she lifted up his sleeves further and further to look until he pulled his hand away. Kiara looked Ed in the face, to see him hiding behind his hair in a shameful manner.

"You've got nice auto-mail there Ed," she smiled, ignoring his actions. "Never seen it like that. Who do you go to?" she asked again, then threw herself back on the bed.

"Pinako and Winry Rockbell in Rizenbool, best you can find anywhere, no one else like them" Al answered for him, and Ed smiled.

"You got that right," Ed added, pushing his sleeves back down.

"Rizenbool? Bit far away eh? And it's quite the small town, I don't know any auto-mailests there" she questioned.

"We don't exactly go there regularly, just if we need to" Ed stated, and leaned back on the couch.

There was a silence after that, but it was peaceful. Each of them were thinking their own thoughts, and actually enjoying Kiara, or in Kiara's case Ed, for the first time. Kiara eventually got around to staring at Al's huge suit of armor and felt sympathetic. She recalled when they walked down the streets and people stare wide-eyed at him like he was some sort of giant killing machine.

"I hate to sound rude," Kiara paused, knowing she had wanted to ask this all along. "But, Alphonse, why are you- your body?" she asked straight to the point.

"Things happened" Ed stated. "And he's sort of stuck with this body…for now."

A long silence stood between the three as they thought over what each had just said. "A lot wasn't said" Kiara pointed out.

"A lot doesn't want to be said," said Ed blankly, as his face became covered by his lose bangs that fell from his braid.

"Still," she took a moment to roll over on her stomach, and lifted her legs in the air. "There's one more question. What are you two so obviously searching for?"

"That will be unraveled with time, that we can't stop. But for now, you don't need to know the truth" Al answered, leaving Kiara a little puzzled.

Sensing the conversation was over; both of them stood up and began to walk toward the door. They left the door slightly opened, and Kiara sighed heavily.

"I will find out about their past, and they in return will find mine. The one that haunts me forever, the one I keep so secret no one knows. Two aimless strangers might get hurt," she realized, and moaned. "Please God, hate me, not them. They aren't that bad, don't make them pay for my actions"

It had to be somewhere around evening, because the window straight above Kiara's headboard kept fading into a deeper red, and a bit of darkness was beginning to surround the Earth. Although it was much to early for bed, she curled up in her blankets, and eventually dozed off into a slumber.


	5. Then Came Another

**_DISCLAIMER:_ Hiromu Arakawa; when the novel with words was written, it said in the afterword, 'his.' When she drew her manga and the chapter starter had Gluttoney trying to eat her, it said 'him.' Hiromu even sounds like a man. WHY DO YOU HIDE YOUR TRUED GENDER? Sadly, Full Metal Alchemist can be given complete credit to a woman, and she disowns it...probably because they feel men won't want to read it then, because manga done by girls are usually bad...Oh yeah, I don't own FMA.**

**

* * *

**

**_A/N: Just in case you're wondering, you people out here are getting my chapters that haven't been revised by my editor yet. (Yes, I have an EDITOR. Props to me friend Liana) and although I have some people in here, they shouldn't, because they either died over the course of FMA, or had their legs paralyzed. (sniff HAVOC, WE MISS YOU!) I should have never done a fanfic AFTER their own adventures..._******

* * *

******Chapter 5: And Then Came Another**

It seemed weird how a week could pass without seeing Ed or Al at all. Kiara almost thought to believe they had left her, but then she had seen Ed pigging out on a huge plate of food, and Al hissing in his ear to stop in the lobby the next morning. For some odd reason, she had fled from them. Where was she to go in public? She had clothes, they supplied her with food, and she had a separate room with everything she needed. Kiara was very attempted to head up to their room. But what would she say? I'm lonely, entertain me? Uh, she didn't think so. She barely knew these people at all; she shouldn't need to be in their presence daily. Besides, she would soon be spending every second with them; possibly for a few days if Liana would like her to stay, so there was no reason to fret.

"Well Mr. Yuki" she moaned, rolling off her bed in complete and utter boredom. "How about we take another nap? For the fifth time today?" she rolled back over and sighed. "I have to get out," she mumbled, rolling off her bed in a lazy manner.

She swaggered a bit, regaining the feeling in her legs, then walked forward. It was a time biding walk to get all the way down to the first floor, so she hastily took the elevator. Even that process moved slowly, for it was crammed with officials who looked like they would have rather shot themselves them come to work today.

"People said you were coming back Nevina, but I thought they all to be rumors. I can't believe that slipped right by me and Mustang didn't tell me" second lieutenant Havoc told her as she spun around and smiled at him.

"The one and only" she smirked.

Havoc was young for a man, with spiked blonde hair and usually a cigarette set limply from his mouth. He wore the same uniform as everyone else did, and had broad shoulders and a leaned back figure. He was slightly smaller than Mustang, with a much younger tone to his voice also. He was a pretty good person all around and somehow Kiara could forgive and forget every time the much-too-old Havoc asked her out.

"Has the one and only been taken yet?" he questioned slyly, stepping out of the elevator and following in her footsteps. He was either going that way because that's where he was supposed to be, or just following Kiara to see if she'd give in this time.

"Actually, I've got my eye on someone Havoc," she lied quickly, but a little voice echoed in her head. _You think you're lying, but not really,_ it hissed, and she tried to cover a smile.

It was true. But not like she had meant for it to happen…

She was just in a bad mood. Kiara hadn't seen or heard from the Elric brothers in a good solid twenty-four hours, so she decided to follow random people around. At first it was Riza, but she quickly threw her off when she actually had a real meeting to attend to. So she follow Mustang around.

"Nevina, I've actually got a life, why don't you get one?" he hissed angrily, walking much faster than her usually did down the hall.

"I'll make you my life" she answered simply.

"I know you adore me, but find someone else to stalk right now babe" Mustang smiled mischievously, seeing the disgusted look on her face.

"You wish pervert! I am only following you because everyone else is-" she was so busy running to catch up with him and tell him off she ran smack dab in the middle of someone.

"Oof! Sorry 'bout that!" someone called surprised, resting on the floor just like she did.

It was interesting enough to run into somebody, or find out with one sentence he was definitely a full blooded British boy, but to run into someone so good-looking was just her lucky day.

He certainly wasn't Japanese. And not to mention his accent couldn't have been anymore poor. He had almost orange tanned skin in the light they were in, with deep red freckles scattered amongst his rosy cheeks, and reddish-orange thick hair that fell into his eyes carelessly that he didn't bother to brush away. The boy had to be no more than seventeen; there was no doubt about it. He wore a simple loose maroon sweater that sagged over a pair of dark navy blue jeans and torn up old black sneakers. His eyes were small and narrow, tinted in a beautiful shade of forest green, while above them stood a firm dark brown brow. His face was slender, his ears were small, and she could have sworn a slight clicking of metal against his teeth was a tongue ring.

She was so disappointed at the last thought. _Great, a piercing where there shouldn't be. That's a turn off for me,_ she sighed with the thought.

"I had too many bloody papers that wouldn't go in one stack" he explain, and much to Kiara's delight, pulled a paper clip out of his mouth. "I'm going to need a bigger one of these" he smiled, holding up the paper click and Kiara laughed.

"Quiet alright," she said as he gracefully lifted her up in a polite manner.

She looked passed his shoulder to see Mustang standing there, waiting. He then realized he had wanted to get rid of her all along, and noticing he was standing like an idiot, took off, but not without looking back at least seven times.

"But why exactly are you here?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, me bad," he apologized. "I originally came here to seek my real father, which is kind of interesting I suppose. I ended up realizing I should have never come, and ended up working as his damn secretary. It's so miserable, it's like he has no respect for me. Excuse me if my Japanese is poor, I only just mastered all the words. I'm trying to learn how to write now. My name's Austin Dunstan. Well, listen to me rant on about nothing" he joked and laughed nervously.

"No, actually, it's pretty interesting. Who's your father Mr. Dunstan?" she asked sweetly, giving him a charming smile.

"You wouldn't know him, he's a in a lot lower class than you. I think that because you were just walking around with Colonel Roy Mustang, one of the top people around here. My dad's just a low rank William Dunstan, second in command to military sight officials," Austin replied. "Oh, and call me Austin, I'm not old enough for all that formal stuff," he added.

He started to follow her. Not in that way, he just started walking in step with her and heading in her direction. They didn't really notice, because Austin had so much to say, and Kiara eagerly listened. Besides, who would want to get rid of him? His British accent was very attracting.

"And what might your name be Miss?" he asked, and Kiara blushed embarrassed.

_I was ignorant enough to forget to tell him my name! How foolish,_ she scolded herself and quickly spoke. "Kiara Nevina, but I go by whatever anyone wants to call me. Except Kiki, but that's another story for a different time," she laughed. "I guess it's only fair to tell you my story. I'm an expelled Alchemist, and the military thinks I've been in wrong doings, so they imprisoned me here with the shortest talking idiot in the world- Edward Elric. And his brother, Alphonse Elric, but Al is much nicer. I've only been here two days, but I'm sentenced to three weeks or possibly longer if Mustang orders it. I have two have freaking guardians; I can't even leave this place if I wanted to without them having to follow. So that's me, pretty interesting I suppose" she added the line he had spoken, and they exchanged smiles.

"You mean THE Edward Elric? The Full Metal Alchemist!" Austin chirped up excitedly.

"Yeah, the one with a huge reputation around here," Kiara sighed. "I had slightly heard of him when I was an alchemist, but he was out, and so was I. The stories everyone would rumor about never reached me until like, a week ago. I was surprised myself I'd never heard of him," Kiara admitted.

"But he's nothing like what they say. He's really short. Like, barely taller than me and that is **with **his platform shoes thank-you very much! But what's shorter is his temper. He's nice looking though, but lets not go to that 'handsome man' thing. Just like a really cute kid. And yep, that's the idiot Edward Elric, who could never say anything polite in his life if he wanted to" Kiara summed up.

"Oh, so you hate him" Austin stated blankly. "I never get to see him, he's always out, **always**No one talks about where him and his brother go either. I heard rumors he had come back and was staying for a good while, but I've been so frantic lately I haven't had time to even take a break," said Austin, saying a lot as usual.

"Yeah, I hate that moron. I'm thinking, as I already have the title of an alchemist, I should be given a little credit around here. I mean sure, I wasn't eleven like Ed was, but I did earn my license at age seventeen!" Kiara fumed, clutching her fists together.

"So you're an alchemist!" Austin quickly changed the subject. "Alchemy has always intrigued me, but I dare not try it, in fear of losing something too valuable. Equivalent Exchange, you know? And I was too lazy to find a book and learn simple transmutation circles. Oh well for me," he chuckled, and they soon reached the lobby.

"So where are you going Kiara-chan?" he asked politely. "I thought you weren't allowed to go into public without the famous Elric brothers."

"I'm not, but-" she smirked, knowing exactly what she was going to say. "We could go outside, and I could teach you some alchemy. You know, you said you wanted to learn…" Kiara left her sentence unfinished, sending him her flirtatious smile.

"I'm sure you've got more important things to tend to, I shouldn't waste your time…" said Austin, but she could hear the disappointment wavering in his voice as he spoke.

"Not really. Well, there are some things, but I'd much rather be here," she smiled as he turned a bit red, which was hard to tell with his complexion anyway.

"I er- well…" he stuttered, scratching his head.

It wasn't long until Kiara was showing simple transmutation circles on the ground on a beautiful spring day, laughing with Austin as they took his papers and transformed them into little origami figures…

"Kiara!" a hand waved in front of her face, as she snapped out of the memory.

"Er- sorry Havoc. Just thinking" she supplied her answer quickly.

"So, who actually snagged you?" he asked.

"I was not 'snagged' for your information! I've just taking a liking to someone! We aren't snogging or anything!" she yelled irritably.

"What the hell is snogging?" Havoc asked in a loud shout.

"It isn't a made-up word you know! Just a British term…" she trailed off.

"Oh, so it's that one kid around here! The only kid besides the Elric brothers your age! Uh, what's his name?" Havoc fell into thought. "Oh yeah, Austin!"

Kiara blushed profoundly. "I have to er- go" she replied quickly, going even redder as she rushed off quickly.

"OH YOU HAVE A THING FOR HIM!" Havoc shouted obnoxiously after her, and she cursed under her breath.

"I'm an alchemist! Wait…that isn't reason…" Kiara realized. "But just because I made a male friend everyone has to jump to conclusions!" she fumed.

"'Ello Kiara!" Austin's great British accent sounded out as she slowed down to a halt. "Who you running away from?" he raised his eyebrows, watching her huff a bit.

"No one. Just thought I should run for exercise," she lied quickly.

"You sure don't need it" he replied slightly quiet, with a small smile.

She huffed with a smile and stood all the way up again. "Well, you ready? Today we're going to learn a bit more complex formula. But first, revise over from what I told you yesterday" she felt like a teacher, but she didn't mind being in control.

"Alright" he agreed with a quick firm nod. "Transmutation is basically the conversion of one object into another. It is most commonly used in reference to extremely basic objects, for example turning lead to gold, or gold to pure energy, it can also be referred to more complex objects as well. As in transmogrification," he recited steadily.

"Whoa," Kiara blinked once and snapped out of the alluring passage. "You managed to remember exactly what I read out of my book," she held up her copy of _Transmutation For Beginners_.

"You read it over so many times for me to understand, how could I forget?" he asked breathlessly, chuckling with Kiara.

"Well…great job. Once you learn this, we can easily move onto the laws of it," she sat down, and he repeated the action.

She opened up her book and flipped to the page they had left off on.

"The basic idea of a transmutation circle is the power of the circle. A circle represents the circulation of power," she read in a dull tone, feeling very bored as she recited what she already knew too well. "By drawing a constructive equation on it, the power is able to manifest by itself. By knowing the flow of the power and its laws, you can cope with many things. One who accepts all of that, understands it, and creates…that is what an alchemist does," she finished the passage and breathed in deeply.

"So by the time we're finished you should be able to transmute 30 lbs. of matter at one time.  
You can only transmute matter into a different form of the same chemical make up though. For example, a rock can be transmuted into a sword, but must be made of rock and can't be changed into steel. So let's start shall we?" she asked. "Take a look at this formula, it's got the lettering equation of…" and so Austin loomed over her shoulder, paying very much attention.

The lesson continued, but not with as much progress as Kiara hoped. He couldn't draw anything exact, so things like paper being transmuted into a simple rock kept turning out as just a crumpled piece of paper, or the paper lighting on fire. She had tried not to hint that he had forgotten the fourth number to the second power, it was quite unnoticeable. Finally after looking at the side, he realized it, changed it, and then the piece of paper…lit on fire- again.

"Ugh!" he cried frustrated, burying his face in his hands.

"No, that's okay! We're moving at an alarming rate! You have to write down equations instead of just shapes, that's huge process! Really, really it is!" she tried cheering him up. "And, we've only been at it for six days! Speaking of six days…" she trailed off into thought about the Elric brothers.

Where were they? What were they doing? Were they avoiding her? When were they to see Liana? These questions swam through her mind day and night; but she would never go to their room. There was such an easy solution to the curiosity, and she was allowed to do it! Why wouldn't she go up there? Well, she had planned to yesterday, but she had run into Austin.

"Hey Kiara?" Austin asked suddenly, pulling her out of her gaze.

"Huh?" she replied weakly, trying to focus her attention back on him.

"Well, just asking, if maybe you'd like-" but before he could finish someone called out so loudly, Kiara winced.

"Nevina we're leaving in an hour, get moving!" she spun around to see Ed and Al standing a few yards off.

"Oh, they're getting a piece of my mind" Kiara muttered, and Austin laughed as she stood up and rolled back her sleeves.

Now she had realized why she wouldn't visit them. She wanted to yell and shout at them for not talking to her! Not telling her when anything was going to happen! Her eyes were fixed in a death glare she couldn't get rid of, her walk was straight and fast, and her determination was swelling at that point. And she let them have it.

"You stupid raging idiots!" she yelled, pounding her fist as hard as she could into Ed's skull. "You just decide that you'll let Kiara wander alone for a week straight? And just hope she doesn't take off?" she then kicked Al in the knees. Yeah, she knew it didn't hurt him, but she was too lazy to bend over a punch Ed again, so she kicked what was closest in contact with her foot.

"Owe…everything's ringing and vibratingggggg" Al rung out, as he shook vigorously.

"And hey, while were at it, lets not wait a few days to get moving, lets take our sweet ass time!" she had seen Ed from the corner of her eye clapping his hands together.

She didn't even take the time to notice that he didn't need a circle, she just shoved her foot in the middle of it. It made a blue spark, which stung a bit, and Ed looked at her.

"I-I-I wasn't going to hurt you I swear!" he whimpered, standing up and backing away. "I was only going to hold you down so you couldn't hurt-" but once again her fist encountered his face.

"Kiara-chan, please, we our deeply sorry!" Al called out, grabbing a hold of her arm. "We've been dead busy studying, we haven't left our room in days, we lost track of time!" he apologized, as she tried to kick her way out of his huge hard grasp.

"That's no right to forget the human being who's been sitting in her room! You can't just put me on a bookshelf and hope I stay there! You're watching over a _living_ organism, not a plant you forgot to water yesterday," as she ranted, she started to calm down. Her brain wasn't flashing with danger, her muscles had begun to relax, her shoulders began to sag, and her breathing started to steady. "Just because you don't have to feed me or clothe me doesn't mean you just leave me! No matter how much I get on your nerves!" Kiara just acknowledged, from the corner of her eye, Austin had since long joined behind her, staring in awe at Ed and Al.

"Who's who?" he quickly whispered in her ear, once Al had finally agreed to let her go.

"The blonde one is Edward, the other is Alphonse" she spoke hastily, then averted her attention back unto them.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"You hit harder than Winry for Christ's sake!" Ed stifled a cry, furiously trying to cover the part where his head was bleeding and the bruise on her lower left cheek at the same time.

"We mean!" Al intervened, sending Ed a glance. "That's we're dreadfully sorry. We never meant to hurt your feelings, or make you feel abandoned. We'll never do it again, we don't know how the make it up to you," he apologized repeatedly, trying to hold Ed upright as he staggered greatly.

"You don't hurt my feelings! I just-" she faltered for a moment, thinking of the right words. "I was just disappointed you had forgotten your job" she said, and dropped her one finger that she had been holding up.

"Hmph, whatever. Edward and Alphonse Elric, meet Austin Dunstan. Austin Dunstan, meet the idiots," she finally introduced them negatively.

"I've heard a lot about you two" Austin said respectively, shaking Ed's hand.

"I doubt they were positive" Ed murmured, hastily shaking his hand.

"While you were gone with no reason I found him. I'm teaching him alchemy," said Kiara crossly, as she folded her arms.

"Really? How well does she teach?" Ed asked him.

"Very good. It's only been five days and I'm learning formulas on a transmutation circle" Austin boasted, making Kiara feel good.

"Don't you think that's a little too fast Kiara?" Al asked worriedly.

"Absolutely not. If Austin can learn Japanese in six months, he can most certainly learn the laws of Equivalent Exchange," Kiara spoke nobly, standing up for him.

"Well…whatever suits you" Al shrugged.

"Austin's from England, aren't you?" Kiara asked him flatly, with a sharp tone to her voice.

"Er- yeah. Me dad's British with the best Japanese accent known to man, and me mum's Scottish, but has only lived in Scotland for three years," Austin explained, sounding as though he had just been put in the spot like; which no doubt he had.

"Oh, I wondered about that. So yeah, you're a fast learner" Ed replied, but it was very bitter.

"Yes, his father is William Dunstan, do you know him?" she asked Ed, but not sounding like she cared.

"No, actually I don't" Ed replied, having an unreadable expression on his face.

"Er- he's a lower rank. A MUCH lower rank from you" Austin said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So now that my time is wasting away, I'll have to run up to my room" Kiara huffed. "Well, you guys chat or something, I'll be back in this exact spot in exactly forty-five minutes" said Kiara, running off.

"So, um- you're the Full Metal Alchemist?" Austin asked awkwardly.

"Yeah," Ed replied loosely.

"Umm…and do you- know Kiara from the past?" he randomly asked, trying to start a conversation.

"No, we've just recently met her" Al answered after Ed would not.

"Oh, then, you aren't…close or anything are you?" he asked uncomfortable.

"Barely. But if you're trying to see if we can protect her, we will, with all our life…" Ed replied coolly, making sure not to look him in the eye.

"No I wasn't asking that! I was just sort of wondering if she had anyone 'close' to her, if you know what I mean" Austin went really red, wishing he hadn't said that.

"Oh, you meant that" Al asked blankly, as Ed realized it also and his face became surprised.

Ed quickly lost the surprised expression and it turned hard and cold. He look Austin with a dark look. "I don't want to chat" Ed hissed at him quickly, and turned around and began following Kiara for some odd reason.

"Brother…?" Al called weakly after him. "Brother come back!" he tried to call, but Ed was to far off into the distance. "He's really nice, he is!" Al told Austin, shrugging his shoulders.

"OH! John, Jacob, JingleHeimer Schmidt, his name is my too! Whenever we go out, the people always, "There's a John, Jacob, JingleHeimer Schmidt!" La da da da da da da! John, Jacob, JingleHeimer Schmidt…" Kiara belted out nicely, listening to the sound of her voice as she started to gather some stuff in a small bag. "La da da da da da da!" she finished her little song then ended.

"Fernando Yuki, I shall count the days that we are separated!" Kiara cried dramatically, reaching out her hand in distress, then letting out a loud, heavy, long "ha…"

"Fernando?" somebody asked.

"Now _that_ time the door was shut!" Kiara snapped angrily. "I could've been getting dress you idiot!" she yelled, throwing a pillow at Ed.

"Hey, I just came to help!" he held out his hands in defense.

"You should do more than reason, especially when you can't lie worth crap," Kiara replied bitterly, putting her hands on her hips. "You don't like Austin, I could see it on your face. What's wrong with him?" Kiara cut straight to the point.

"You barely know him!" Ed blurted out, not making any sense.

"Neither do you!" Kiara shot back.

"But, you actually know that my intentions are good!"

"If good has been what you've been calling them, you certainly have low standards," Kiara scoffed.

"I'm just saying…" Ed took a deep breath. "How easy is it to find a seventeen year old kid who works for the military? You yourself most likely don't even know his supposedly 'father.' Hell, I don't even know his father! All I have to say is be a bit careful, I don't trust him."

"Well I do! He hasn't tried to do anything except alchemy, and _I_ was the one who wanted to spend more time with him, not the other way around! As for you not knowing his father, that shouldn't be a surprise. From what I hear you're barely around to even know who runs this damn place! And when, out of nowhere, do you suddenly care about my well-being?" she yelled frustrated, throwing all her things in forcefully as she spoke.

"Because you're my job! I at least have to keep you alive!"

Kiara rolled her eyes so far her sockets started to sting. "Oh yeah, let me tell you, Austin plans to chop me into pieces!" she said in a heavy sarcastic tone.

"Just don't get too close," Ed warned.

"I can't believe I should even fight with you about my life. You have to opinion to state in it, so keep your mouth shut! As for all this Austin business, whether you like me or not, you just sound jealous!"

"Of what? A person who can't even speak our language properly! Who can barely change a piece of paper into a rock? A guy who's a lower social class than you?" Ed ranted.

"Jealous because I actually have proven to you not everyone hates me! Some people enjoy my company, unlike the time I'm spending with you right now!" she yelled, threw her stuff behind her back, and stomped off before Ed could even walk out the door.

"Wow, that was quick" Austin said relieved as Kiara hurried up next to him.

"Where is Edward?" Al asked worriedly.

"Why should I care!" Kiara snapped. "Besides, I though he was behind me. Not my fault if that egotistic son of a bitch comes anyway, we can leave without that- that- undeniable, self-centered, insufferable-" Kiara clenched her fists together and ground her teeth hardly.

"Let's be gentle, shall we?" Austin asked carefully, grabbing her hands in caution.

She calmed down a bit, and sat back down on the ground. "Well, we aren't going anywhere, so let's keep learning…" she patted her hand on the ground, signaling for Austin to sit down.

"Do you have the book?" he asked, sitting down as Al watched them.

"Does it look like I need it?" she asked with her eyebrows raised.

"No…" he murmured.

"Ok then, start writing," she said, and Austin pulled out the chalk they had been using earlier. "Explain while you write!" she commanded, and Austin nodded quickly.

"Not only is chalk easier to write with on just about any surface, it makes the chemical reaction spark better," he supplied, finishing a very round and perfect circle. "In order to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. This is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange, and although it seems simple it isn't. It must be constantly reminded, and set to the right scientific terms. And to learn from such a skilled sensei is more than this one could ask for" he added, smiling at Kiara.

Her cheeks tinged a bit red. "Do a simple one, and show it to Alphonse," she spoke, then stood up.

She watched him finish the basis of the triangular star intertwining with the two ringed middle as she dusted her pants off. "Austin, put your hands together and let's see what we got. Or grab something if you aren't going to transmute stone" she ordered.

Austin actually stood up, and ran off a bit to go find some things. He came back a few seconds later with twigs, leaves, and much to Kiara's dislike, a few bugs.

"You had to bring bugs?" she demanded disgusted, staring at a worm.

"Well, this little guy was falling off the branch, I had to save him! And then I almost squished this one, and this guy-"

"Just put those things down and show me what you've learned!" Kiara snapped impatiently as he threw the insects on the ground hastily. Then he placed the items on the circle, placed his hands together, and pressed lightly on the ground.

It glowed for a few seconds, then brightened and Kiara could no longer see what was in front of her. But as quickly as it came, it quickly faded, and she then saw a very eager Austin holding a wooden carved doll, with a bit of elegance to it. It was simple though, and it wasn't satisfying.

"Ehehe, it's progress…" Austin shrugged, holding it limply.

"Erg, you aren't trying you're best, I know you aren't!" Kiara barked.

"You put on too much stress!" he whined, handing her the doll.

"You can make better things! He can make better things," she added quickly to Al, who had been suddenly put on the spot.

"No, it's-it's- it's very neatly carved, really it is" Al lied, as he accidentally broke off it's fragile arm while taking it from her grasp.

"You better not slack off while I'm gone," she warned him. "Even if this is just a hobby for you, your teacher is going to make it a very skilled hobby," she instructed, fixing the shoulder strap more tightly.

"You're leaving?"

"No freaking dip moron" Kiara replied angrily. "Where have you been for the past like, hour?" she asked, adverting her attention away from her back and back to his eyes.

"I er- well…when will you be back?" he inquired, completely ignoring her rudeness.

"Not sure. In a few days I suspect. Whether or not I come back with these two is another story," she added, being totally serious.

"Be careful…umm, then," he stated, and out of no where hugged her.

"FINALLY!" she shouted, but Austin couldn't back away in surprise as she hugged him tightly back. "Somebody gave me a hug!" she cried gleefully, skipping around. "Make love, not war!" she shouted insanely, running around.

"Uh, Kiara, don't go to far!" Al advised her, but she just ignored him and kept going around in circles while she skipped.

"Waffles, waffles, waffles, waffles, moo, moo, moo!" she yelled happily, and started to spin around in circles.

"Did she just say…-?" Austin faltered.

"Yeah, she just did. What, you've never seen her like this?" Al questioned surprised.

"Never," he replied.

"Hmmm, I guess it's just us then" Al shrugged. "Did you know on our way here she stuck her head out of the taxi cab and waved to random people, hoping they would wave back?" Al asked, and Austin looked disturbed.

"Well, that's a side I've never seen," he stated blankly.

"I think even though everything and everyone around her tries to crack her into line is why she's so open minded and free" Al explained. "She'd rather be serious when she wants to be, and happy as much as she can. Do you know anything of her past?" Al started to catechize him, hoping to get any information about this strange girl as he could.

"Now that you mention it, I've brought it up several times, telling her about me dad and me mum. But every time I ask her she won't tell me anything. The only thing she'd say is she would always remember how her mother would take her to a big blossoming cherry tree in the spring. It always entranced her. But then something weird happened" Austin explained.

"What was it?" Al asked, paying close attention.

"After that she said that, the tree always made her cry. I don't even know where it came from. It was quiet after that, and I heard her cry silently, but we didn't say anything," Austin recalled. "I-I-I kept trying to comfort her, but-but well, I froze on the spot," he admitted shamefully.

"Wait...Kiara, cried?" Al questioned incredulously.

"Sort of, she was holding them back," Austin replied, watching her twirl around and around, getting further and further away from them.

"I never thought she'd give into something like that," Al told him, sounding surprised.

"I know Kiara enough to know she's got frantic emotions, but crying? Nah, that ain't Kiara at all. She'd rather stab herself than cry, especially in front of something. She's a warrior, that one is," Austin replied, shaking his head.

"Why do you say that?" asked Al, as he saw from the corner of his eye a glint of a blonde-haired person.

"Well whatever it was must've been horrible, eh mate? Enough to make Kiara fall apart pretty fast. Although you don't want to upset her you're curiosity strikes even higher. Be careful what you ask her mate," Austin gave him a weak clap on the back.

"What in Sam's hell is she doing?" was the first thing to protrude from Ed's mouth as he reached both of them.

"What does it look like? Dancing but of course!" Austin answered proudly, and began to walk off.

Kiara had long since noticed Ed in the distance, but she continued anyway. That was until she started to see Austin walk off. "You're not getting away that easily!" she yelled, as he tried to silently walk past her. "I want a hug mister! From now on too, because I know you'll give them to me!" she snickered as he gave in a loosely wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled back.

"That's going to get tedious," he sighed.

"Well then maybe we should do the funky chicken, grab each other's pinkies and shout 'Hu, ha!' and then beat are chests!" Kiara piped up, as she then did this.

He laughed at her hilarious reaction. "You go ahead and do that, I'll make sure I'm already far, far away from you…"

"Well, I'll see you around Austin," she tipped off her hat to him, (although she wasn't wearing one) and started to walk over to Ed and Al.


	6. Love and Hate A Journey for Both

**_DISCLAIMER: _You know, this gets a bit tedious! I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, the laws of alchemy, and anycharacter mentioned in here that is also mentioned in the anime or manga. But I do own Kiara Nevina, Austin Dunstan, Liana Kong, Airianna, and all that good stuff. Yep, I love my OCs.

* * *

__**

A/N: I'm baaaacck! It's been a while since I updated, but as promised chapter 6! I hope you all like it, and it hasn't been edited yet either, though, I've been working on my grammar. I guarantee this will be a thrilling chapter, with lots of deception, angst, humor, and all the things a good story has. I had better go, before I start sounding like a commercial!

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Love and Hate; A Journey for Both**_

Never, ever again did Kiara want to be walking where they were now. It was Liana's own sheer cruel amusement that she was out here, in this…this place. And it was exactly how it had been on the train, dead silence with Al shifting uncomfortably. Therefore, she didn't even have anything to take her mind off the thoughts. Yes, it was Kiara's childhood home-

Everything was so familiar. They passed the wooden dojo were she used to practice, she could see her four-year-old self swinging from her mother's hand as they walked along the path, and then she saw the worst of it.

Very, very, far off was a tree. It was very small and looked like a speck in the distance, but Kiara felt like it was running right into her face. There wasn't even one more like it in this town. They had been cut down for more room before she was even born; that's why it was so special, those three random cherry trees that had always been there. Owned by no one, they were absentmindedly placed in a little grassy plain. Kiara wouldn't even have been able to see them if it weren't for the spring weather. They had blossomed magnificently, full of luscious white petals, each little bloom having up to a hundred. It couldn't have been more beautiful; it was the town's pride and joy this time around. One was larger than the rest, but right next to it sat two smaller ones, identically the same. The biggest one towered over the others with dominance, beamingly basking in the light of the sun.

It used to hold Kiara's deepest and utmost respect; to her, it was perfect. Respected, beautiful, dominant, graceful, and most of all elegant to her in every way. The correct term was 'used to' because after her bloody days it only bore bloodshed and horror on it's branches. Evil and distraught; that's what it meant to her now. Everything wrong and injustice, it was what it fought for.

The evil thoughts kept creeping back to her, one by one, until they got so bad and so unbearable she yelled in pain.

"What's wrong?" Al shouted above her screaming, grabbing her arms.

"I- don't- want- to- be- here!" she huffed, trying to free from his grasp.

"Kiara-kun relax, what's the matter?" Al asked confused, trying his best to hold on.

"Not now, not ever! There's blood reeking in the air, can't you smell it? It's been here for thirteen years, flowing down my fists!" she shouted, making no sense.

"What are you talking about?" Al tried to question again, as they had stopped moving. "What blood on your fists? What do you mean? What have you done here?" he asked repetitively.

Her face contorted into so much anger and so much pain at the same time. Every flooding bloody memory swept through her mind, they wouldn't disappear. Not the bodies, not her mother's laughter, not her father's face, not the man…everything. She couldn't even see what was in front of her. She didn't know how it was possible, but something was pressing her down. Not letting her go.

"Let me go!" she shouted, referring to Al.

"What are you talking about?" Ed intervened, giving her a look as if she was insane. "You're making no sense!"

She let out a desperate cry of frustration.

"Brother, something's wrong!" Al cried, deeply afraid.

Nothing was wrong with her actually. Typically normal, they had just never seen it. Okay, maybe it wasn't, considering her head felt like it was about to explode, and her throat kept threatening her to spew vomit all over the ground.

"KIARA!" Ed shouted in fury, grabbing a hold of her also. "You better shut the hell up before we blow you up! You most better not be okay, 'cause if you are, you won't be for long!" he warned her in pure rage, a very stern and determined face.

"Whoa…" she suddenly stated, and everything calmed down.

Her muscles relax, her vision became clear, and her burning throat instantly disappeared. "Thank-you Alphonse, Edward," Kiara told him, yet having a creepy airless tone permanently stuck to her words.

"What the hell was that?" Ed asked, sounding deeply relieved, but at the same time cautious. "What are you playing at Nevina?" he yelled angrily. "Explain!"

"I don't know…." she stated, still as blank and empty as before.

Al whimpered. "Brother, is she alright?" he whispered.

Before anything could happen, she fell to the ground, the world blackening around her….

* * *

_**A/N: So, do you think this was a fine short chapter or not? I worked really hard and- JUST JOKING. I would NEVER make a chapter that short, even if it is a perfect cliffhanger. (which I can't seem to do if you've realized) Really, I put this here so you can be all angry with me and say," SHUT UP AND LET ME READ THE REST!" Go ahead my fine feathered friend, there's much more ahead...HA I RYHMED! **__**

* * *

**_

"She's waking brother," a small voice sprang through her ears.

"Step back before she bites you or something," another replied sarcastically.

Kiara was utterly exhausted. The only thing she could do was think how much she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep; then she tried to roll over and go back to sleep. Only then did Kiara realize she was on solid hard rock.

She moaned as she rolled over, then blinked a few times, as the sun beat down furiously. A deep yawn, a few stretches, and a lot of silence later, she spoke.

"What happened?" Kiara asked confused.

"What do you mean, you don't know what happened? You started talking and not making any fucking sense, then starting acting like a stoned hippie! And then, to top of the seriously freaky moment, you blacked-out on us damn it!" Ed cried angrily.

"Oh, that…." she murmured.

"It's happened before?" Al asked incredulously.

"Just something from a while back. And only once," she replied hastily. Kiara noticed that her sleeve had been pulled up, revealing a slight blur of blackness. She hastily covered it up.

"Let's keep going," Kiara staggered as she stood up, and Ed had to help her a bit.

"You- this- I- we…." Al stuttered in astonishment.

"That never happened. If you speak of it again I will make sure you never see light. And yes, that's a threat," she warned them darkly, finally gaining balance.

She pushed off Ed's shoulder, focused her eyes straight ahead, and kept walking as if nothing had happened. "This way," she ordered as they turned a corner on the street.

Although she felt content with herself, she still wasn't exactly normal. The stupid ground just wouldn't stop rolling slightly to the left, and her throat kept begging to be watered, or it would do some serious damage. And although she thought she was walking right, she never realized how long Ed had to sustain her on his shoulder and keep his arm around her waist.

She hummed slightly, not exactly sure what it was. Just and airless, tuneless, crappy made-up one that somewhat resembled a song she had heard from long ago. It didn't seem to bother Ed and Al, or they just kept quiet so not to cause her displeasure. Whenever she could, she'd close her eyes, and when they were open they'd stare directly at the ground. There was no way she was going to pass out again, it would be excessively humiliating. It would never happened again, _never_, and she could assure you that.

Eventually the boring walk through the neighborhood winded up to two wide dirt paths, the ends in which couldn't been seen. They were covered in the thick branches of many trees that loomed over them. One if them was straight to the house, and another one that went farther back to the garage. It had a very cute-like feature added to it, everything was so small, and petite, it was almost happy. They chose the path that lead up to the house, but of course, and were greeted with a cozy little home that looked like a cottage with two stories. It had a little deck that sprung out with an old style look to it, and gave off the aura of a cheery house that was once new long ago. It was all made out of wood, and had beautifully hand designed wooden frames.

This house hadn't been used in many time years; it was like a friendly pretty grandmother to Kiara.

She couldn't remember the last time she set foot in it; it had to have been a long time ago, when she was still young and innocent. Yes, what a perfect hiding spot— Liana Kong's childhood home.

"We gonna move or we gonna gawk?" Ed asked bored, bringing Kiara out of her gaze.

"Sorry," she replied quickly, snapping her head down from the sky and back to the ground.

Nothing came easy, Kiara swore to God. The second time Kiara's fist pounded lightly on the door, it swung open. Before any of them could be caught be surprise, four large hands swooped out and picked them up; even Al. They freely allowed themselves to be tossed onto the ground and have the door slam shut before they could escape.

"Ms. Kong, the presence of your guests have been acquired ma'am!" three huge men practically ripping out of their shirts shouted like robots, holding their hand to their forehead just like a sailor.

They heard laughing from the room over as a young girl swaggered in. She was extremely short, just like Kiara and Ed, but less insecure about it. Her black, shiny, lengthy short hair that Kiara remembered had been transformed into almost transparent silver, which swayed all the way to her thigh in a graceful way. Her chocolate brown eyes were no doubt changed into big wide pretty ones that were brimmed into a dark lavender color.

"So, I see you've had some improvements," Kiara smirked, still lying on the floor.

"When so many people are after you, you have to resort to completely different identities," Liana chuckled, offering her a hand up.

"God, it's been forever," Kiara almost cried, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"Ah, my perfect little Melody is getting all teary!" Liana laughed as Kiara let go.

"Am freaking not!" Kiara protested. "And I stopped calling you Harmony such a long time ago, quit with the names!" she pushed her in the shoulders.

Bad idea because suddenly two huge arms had themselves wrapped around her neck, just threatening to burst her vocal cords.

"No worries Matzo, whatever this woman does is completely okay. She is to never be touched by any of you again, got it?" Liana warned, as the three men nodded in unison.

"So, before we start catching up and causing some trouble, please introduce your friends," Liana motioned her hand towards Ed and Al.

"Ah yes, almost forgot," Kiara smiled as they stared at her angrily. "Meet Edward Elric," she shook her hand in his direction and he gave an odd stare. "But we hate the kid," Kiara muttered angrily in Liana's ear. "Don't be nice," she growled, and Liana shook her head.

"Always like that my deary," Liana whispered back. "Shame, deadly good-looking.…" she smiled slyly.

"Ha, I knew I wasn't the only one!" Kiara declared loudly, with a triumphant fist in the air.

"What? Who are you? What are your ties with the government?" Ed asked urgently, walking closer to them.

"Well excuse me! I don't even know that man's name over there!" Liana cried offended.

"Meet Alphonse Elric, his younger brother. Call them Ed and Al though, the usually go by that," Kiara introduced lastly.

"Ah, my good man Alphonse! Wait…he's younger?" Liana questioned curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah that's right! What, do you think I'm shorter or something? DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME SOMEONE SO SMALL WHEN YOU TRIED TO LOOK AT HIM YOU HAD TO PULL OUT A MAGNIFYING GLASS!" Ed shouted furiously, lunging at Liana.

"I didn't say that much! I didn't say anything!" Liana whimpered quickly in fear, backing away.

Before the huge men could grasp him on orders, Al had held onto him tightly. "Don't niisan!" Al yelled frantically, as Ed wreathed in his strong steel arm.

"Edward, calm down you stupid moron! Is she would have called you short, not only would it had been clarified, it'd be hypocritical. Just look at her for God's sake!" Kiara waved her hand over Liana's head.

"Look who's talking.…" Liana grumbled while folding her arms together grumpily as Kiara stopped.

"Alright, enough stalling," Ed had calmed down now as Kiara watched the three men disappear into the other room, sensing that they had no use anymore. "Let's get settled in or something, can we sit?" Ed asked casually.

"In here," Liana motioned her hand to the open doorway that led to the kitchen without doubt.

It was a cute, cozy little kitchen with yellow trimming the top of the walls and white and yellow tiles. Aside from the regular kitchen table, a permanent wooden table like thing stood in the middle of the room, holding a dishwasher and oven. Six wooden legged white barstools sat around it, which they all seated themselves on.

Although Kiara sat in-between Ed and Al, Liana sat across from her.

"So, I'll answer your stupid questions if you promise Kiara and I get some alone time. To talk and catch up of course," Liana bargained.

"Yeah, like I care. Don't go running away or anything," Ed shrugged carelessly.

"And I'm asking you the stupid questions," Kiara pulled out a notebook.

"What, am I getting interviewed all of a sudden?" Liana mumbled, eyeing the notebook with a sour look.

"Notes are my proof to Mustang, and these people just came along," Kiara answered, focusing on her paper with a pen hanging limply from her hand.

"Kiara, why'd you even bring them along? I know you could've gotten rid of them," Ed gave a look of anger as Liana spoke, but Kiara went on unnoticed.

"Pssh, I dunno," she said with a shrug. "Ask Al, he hasn't said much," she waved her hand to Al and jotted something down.

"Er- Hi, I'm Alphonse Elric." Al laughed nervously, not knowing what to say.

"Well hello Al!" Liana piped up happily, with a perky wave.

April 10th, 2007

Liana Kong

Q.

A.

Kiara wrote down quickly, and then looked up.

"Alright, what are your ties with the government?" she asked, twiddling her pen carelessly in her left hand.

"None, I've never committed a crime that is worth being put away for. Notice my choice of word though," Liana sniggered. "Scratch that last part," she added.

"Okie-dokie then. You've been somehow added to the involvement of sixteen crimes using eighteen chimeras, fourteen deaths, and possible leads to the Philosopher's stone. Explain," Kiara spoke off her noted she had scribble down before they had left.

"The what!" Ed and Al shouted in unison.

"You know stuff about the Philosopher's stone? What are you attachments? Have you been experimenting with it?" Ed demanded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me talk first!" Liana leaned back, only to realize nothing was there to support her. She carefully regained her balance before she could fall, but it didn't stop Kiara from laughing.

"Why didn't you tell us of this Kiara? And why didn't Mustang either?" Al asked in what sounded like a cruel tone.

"Well God, don't get on my case. It isn't as if you're searching for it or anything. Besides, I thought Mustang told you!" Kiara defended herself. "And we're getting farther and farther away from the subject here, so Ed, Al, shut-up and let the woman talk!" Kiara shushed them up.

"So this is what he meant when he said, 'it'll be a nice treat'" Ed mumbled inaudibly.

"Okay, I'm good," Liana spoke up, drawing the attention back on her. "I've got one answer for all the sentences or questions you could ever ask. So listen up." Kiara rolled her eyes and her response, but listened anyway. "One name- Garo Agro, that's all I'm saying. And I already went through a lot of crap, so don't go prancing around saying shit that'll make the dog's of the military come after me." Liana said.

"How the hell does that help us with anything?" Ed barked.

"_Shut-up_ Elric, listen to the smart one" Kiara snapped, scribbling his name down. "It's closer than we were anyway, so deal," she said nastily again, as she finished writing his last name.

"But why'd we even come all this way? For a name? Why, we could've called her if we wanted a name!" Al said, backing up Ed. They were both angry. "We're here because of her, not some other guy. We want more information!" Al barked, taking Kiara and Ed by surprise with his swift change of attitude.

"Well, since Kiara is the one writing things down…" Liana looked at them gingerly. "And she trusted you two enough to bring with her…" she trailed off again.

"Get to it grandma," Kiara sighed impatient.

"Garo Agro is a man with interactions with the Philosopher's stone. I've been known to create many things, things that would make you hurl and want to whither away. He came to me asking about the blood red stone, knowing I had knowledge in this area of expertise. All I told him was you'd have to be insane to try it. He forced me into this, all right? I was told to round up a specific big town, and he only wanted that one town. I was to make the townsfolk let him draw a transmutation circle around them and their cities. Yeah, yeah, I knew what he was doing. That's why when everything happened to be in plan, I smudged some things here, erased a few things there, you know; it was incorrect," Liana took a wide breath and watch their eyes fill with surprise.

"Liana…" Kiara whispered, hardly believe what was being said. "How- how could you!" she shouted angrily. "You know the consequences of something like that! You know the alchemy laws! Do you have any idea what kind of hell that could cause!" Kiara felt so angry. "What about that stupid vow, eh? Just decided to back out on it, even with all the damage you could foresee?"

"You just shut-up little girl," Liana snapped.

"I know more than you'll ever realize!" Kiara stood up.

"Just because you got hit with a heavier stone doesn't mean I'm to keep a silly childhood promise!" Liana stood up also. "I've seen more than your innocent eyes have! I know what things lie ahead. I went out there, and I learned what I needed to know! Do you think I care if a couple of people die? Don't these look like the eyes of a killer to you?" she ranted furiously.

Kiara stared deep into Liana's vacant fake eyes, trying hard to see past. "They say once you've killed one, it's easy to keep doing it," Kiara replied blankly.

Ed and Al just sat there watching intently, knowing they needn't step into a fight that didn't belong to them. Half of what they were saying didn't even make sense to their ears.

"You can't bring up the past in which you try so hard to forget Nevina. I'm not the old Liana Kong anymore; I haven't been this for a long time! Accept the fact your only companion has decided to move on, and deal with it! I try and stay nice for this visit, and I try and get you to come here for information I know you'd like, but you can't sit still can you?" Liana snapped bitterly. "Now sit down, write what you came for, and get moving," she ordered.

Kiara, too angry, thrust the notebook onto the table and stormed out. She didn't want to hear the rest of the story, she didn't want to see her face again, and she most certainly did not want to finish that interview.

"Kiara!" Al called after her desperately, but she didn't think back on it.

"Stupid…evil, foul little, devious, loathsome, beastly, detestable, disgusting, horrible…" Kiara ranted under her breath, thinking of every foul word she could. "Revolting, vile bitch!" she muttered profusely again, slamming her hand against the door, forcing it to swing open.

"She- she- she put lives at stake! She's killed before! She's right…Liana is not the innocent woman I once knew. I can't believe I wasn't even aware she chose the wrong path!" Kiara fumed angrily

Kiara had walked far away from the porch and had walked straight into her backyard. They only thing it held was a forever stretching land of trees and plants; a simple forest. Kiara recalled the many hours her and Liana would spend running around, trying to get lost so they could be challenged to get back. They always found their way back. But the most recent memory she had would have been right underneath the largest oak in the forest. It was there that Liana had promised no matter where Kiara would go, no matter what sort of filth she'd drag on her back, that she'd never do the same. She didn't have to, so she made a vow to Kiara that she'd make a better life. Moreover, Kiara had been just so stupid to believe the adventurous bloodthirsty girl would stay put where she was, leading an innocent and happy life.

At last, Kiara reached her destination. The big oak that was showered in bright green leaves swayed in the breeze, leaving spots of light to travel all the way to the ground. She counted eight steps around its enormous trunk, and stopped suddenly.

"Eight steps and you shall see,

The secrets that lie in this tree."

Kiara repeated the rather clever riddle from long ago. As she searched the bark, she found old tattered scrapings that were barely readable. However, Kiara knew they were no ordinary scratches. Two fifteen-year-old girls made them in a desperate attempt to stay together longer for one last time. Kiara didn't need to look carefully to see the riddle she had just said written barely visible, or the clear thick lines that read the initials- L.K. and K.N. She picked around in her pocket until she found what she was looking for. Kiara drew out a pocketknife and swung out the blade with her thumb. Furiously she scratched out the initials, and took a long patient time to write another riddle.

When to one this may seem a token,

It left one girl's heart a broken

With her strength and anger forced into the flow of her hand, each word had to have been carved in at least two inches deep.

"K-K-Kiara?" a small voiced echoed throughout the silence in what sounded like a trembling tone. "What?" she snapped, her head turning around in neck-breaking speed.

There stood Al, nervously ringing his hands together, purposely avoiding her eyes.

"I- er- well, you just ran off…what was it about?" he asked carefully.

"Shut up!" she yelled and heard him whimper.

She whizzed back around to the tree and kept scratching out Liana's name furiously, huffing as she tried to so hard to make it disappear. Then the knife broke right in half, and Kiara stopped blankly. It hung limply from her hand as she stared from the broken blade to the tree repetitively.

"It…broke" Kiara stated bluntly after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Well, you can always get another. Try not pressing so hard," Al suggested, as he walked closer to her and took it from her hand. "Kiara…I know you wouldn't like to tell someone you just met something personal…but, do you want to say anything?" Al asked.

Kiara sighed, and plopped down on the ground. "It just isn't her Alphonse," she cried, burying her head in her hands.

She heard the movement of Al trying carefully to sit down, but other than that he stayed silent.

"Her name isn't even Liana Kong. I should've known something was happening when she told me that in her letter two years ago, I was just so naive and stupid!" Kiara scolded herself.

"W- what do you m- mean?" Al stuttered surprised.

Kiara took a deep breath, making sure to get rid of the shakiness in her voice. She decided even if she had promised Liana that she'd keep quiet. It would be all right to tell Alphonse. "It's sort of like this…."

_"Kokuou, get your ass right back here!" Kiara, still young, huffed. She had been chasing her friend for a good ten minutes, and was completely out of breath. She had to stop and rest her hands on her knees. "Listen, I have to go! Get back here, I haven't much time!" she yelled after her, but was only greeted by a laugh._

_"How about you get your ass over here Nevina!" she cackled. "We're here anyway!"_

_And she was right. Only a few feet ahead of her stood Arina Kokuou; her raven black hair swishing rapidly over her ears and her thin smile that fitted perfectly with her tan features._

_"Why are we at Chukyo?" Kiara questioned, patting the old huge oak tree that had been there so long her and Arina had named it._

_"Well, it had to be something that would never go away, and had a big impact on us. It had to be this tree," she explained._

_"Woman, what the hell are you talking about?" Kiara cried incredulously._

_"This isn't fair Kiara, it just isn't" she spoke seriously, her brown eyes darkening. "You…you shouldn't have to do this. A dog of the military, that's what you are to become! It's the same thing your after that killed you, don't do it! You don't need to go find your father; I'll take care of you. Please Kiara, please stay!" She pleaded, falling to her knees._

_Kiara stood silent, letting her hair cover her face. One tear rolled down her cheek, and crashed into Arina's hair._

_"Please stay…" she heard her sniff sadly, pulling slightly on her pants._

_"Get up, you look pitiful" Kiara ordered, pushing her shoulder to rid of her grip._

_"Kiara, think of what you're doing! I've tried to be supportive, but you're throwing your life away. And for what? Nothing!" she cried._

_"Just shut the hell up Kokuou, you don't even know! When you don't have anything left, you look for something that can comfort you! And that isn't your happy smiling perfect life. I could never sit with you and just envy the rest of my life away. I have to do something! And I'm going to find my father; I'm going to become a state alchemist. If I can perform alchemy, I will earn that title and use it to find him!" Kiara shouted._

_"Why! You barely loved him! He was never around, he ran off!" Arina shouted at her, finally standing up. "You're stupid, and that's all! You don't know what you're doing, and I have to stop you!" _

_"DON'T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE!" Kiara screamed. "IT DOESN'T MATTER EVEN IF I WAS LOOKING FOR A STUPID DOG, I'M GOING TO FIND HIM! I'm going to do this, no matter what!" and then Kiara started to walk away._

_Every step pounded in her ears, and ever instinct told her not to walk away; she shouldn't leave the only thing that had given her happiness like this._

_She turned back around, and ran up to the tree, trying hard to ignore Arina's stares._

_"This is my signature," Kiara said, whipping out a pocketknife with a golden edge, scratching at the bark. Finally, her initials came into view. "Now you sign it!" she barked harshly, hastily throwing the knife at her._

_"Wha…?" Arina asked confused._

_"Promise me, promise me you won't come after me!" Arina nodded in fear, as Kiara's face turned red. "Promise me you won't do what I did! Promise you'll stay away, and by God if you don't do it I'll kill you!" Then Kiara watched as Arina fearfully carved her initials also._

_Eight steps and you will see,_

_The secrets that lie in this tree._

_Kiara carved in the wood, and looked over to Arina._

_"Every moment we ever had is sealed in this tree, good old Chukyo," Kiara chuckled slightly. "But I'll carry them with me. I won't be back you know, I don't plan on it," she told Arina._

_"You won't!" Arina cried, looking extremely surprised._

_"It's time to start a new life," she explained._

_"What about the life God gave you?" Arina asked angrily._

_"God's an idiot. He wasn't even nice to me; I'm ready to start again. But don't worry Arina, you'll never be able to disappear from me. My heart just wouldn't allow it," Kiara smiled, all the hate flowing away._

_"I…I'm going to have a hard time without you, you know that, right Nevina?" Arina smiled._

_"Suck it up," Kiara smirked and turned around._

"And I don't know why…but it just meant so much to me," Kiara said, looking over to Al. "I probably wouldn't have minded so much. But what she did, ruining the transmutation circle, just made me feel as if she had broken everything that we had. It's been at least…three years since I've seen her. I should've expected this…" she sighed.

"I think because you left, Arina didn't know what to do," Al finally spoke. "So she became exactly what you didn't want. However, it is like you've been telling everyone and yourself; it doesn't do good to dwell on the past. Carry on; if you had enough strength to leave her, you'll have enough to pick her back up again." He explained quietly, making so much sense Kiara wondered why she hadn't thought of it.

"I don't want to touch that thing. It's too late…." she sighed.

"Nothing is too late, just given up," Al replied sternly.

"I…." Kiara faltered.

And she never found the words either. They sat there in a silent peace, enjoying the scenery in an odd way for the longest time.

"Where's Edward?" Kiara finally asked.

"Finishing up the interview with Arina," Al admitted truthfully.

"It's Liana Al, it's Liana. Say that again and I'll have serious problems with trusting you," Kiara warned, making sure he understood to never speak of it again.

"He's finishing up the interview with Liana," Al corrected himself.

"Ass…." Kiara muttered inaudibly. "I knew he couldn't care about someone's feelings…." she murmured angrily. "Well, I think we should…go back," she choked out, wanting more than anything to stay there.

"When you're ready," Al assured her.

Kiara smiled. "In that case…." She trailed off, and lay down on the grass, closing her eyes in peace.

It turns out when Liana had ruined the circle, some of people were fused together with animals, and thus came damned chimeras screaming in pain. She was only responsible for fourteen deaths, because only fourteen bodies were found. The town was named Alleth, a small quiet town that didn't have any special resources or anything beyond the average townsfolk. Alleth was only populated by an estimate of one thousand in a small valley just north of Kiara's hometown; Kyoto. _**(A/N: hey my people, that **_''_** means I've got a footnote for you at the end of this, feel free to look at it whenever you want)**_The military was trying very hard to re-build it quickly and restore new citizens before the real reason why it went down was revealed. Sadly, too many rumors had already spread amongst the people, and fear drove them away.

All this reached Kiara directly from Al, for she had taken a vow of ignorance to both Ed and Liana. Ed didn't seem to care any, except when she wouldn't pass him anything at the table that evening, but Liana had been forceful enough to make them _stay_, for dinner. Al insisted that Kiara stay, so they sat in an awkward silence, with steady death glares.

"Can you pass the salt Kiara-kun?" Al asked timidly.

She hastily shoved it across the table silently, never looking up from her plate.

"Sure…and I'm right next to you," Ed grumbled, his shoulder brushing against hers.

"We'll be going," Kiara informed strictly after she had shoved the last bit of food in her mouth.

"I-" Liana looked like she was about to say something, but shushed up. "Fine, go," she lowered her head in silence.

Kiara grabbed the coat of the back of her chair and threw it around her shoulders. She walked over to the corner of the kitchen, and picked up the luggage she wouldn't need anymore.

"Umm…" Al stuttered, looking to Ed.

"What?" Ed replied to his glare with a shrug, not even bothering if she was standing right there.

"We're going Alphonse," she snapped, grabbing Ed's elbow.

"Hey!" Ed cried as she ripped him away from the table forcefully and his fork clattered onto the table. "I can stand-up by myself," he shot, freeing him self from her grasp.

Kiara huffed, placing her hands on her hips impatiently.

She watched Ed look from her to Al many times, then once at Liana. Just when Kiara was sure he'd bend into his brother's pleas, he shrugged and walked past her. Kiara smiled in delight. Finally, someone was siding with her. Or not really caring, she couldn't tell…. Maybe Ed could be forgiven. After all, fraternizing with the enemy was _hardly_ what he had been doing….

"Kiara-kun," Al intercepted, as they were walking.

It was fairly dark, the sun sinking very low into the horizon, and the night's chilly breeze had blown in, making Kiara wrap her coat around tighter and wishing she had brought something more heavier.

"What Al?" she shivered, clanking her teeth together.

"I…I don't think we should have left."

"Not this again," Ed muttered, placing his face in his hands for a moment.

"Al, for God's sake, we have been walking for over twenty minutes! I'm not going to turn back around just so you can feel satisfied!" Kiara moaned frustrated.  
"You left things in a pit!" he complained.

"I didn't do anything! Nothing possibly happened that will actually do any harm! I haven't even spoke to her for three damn years, what was supposed to happen? I saw her, I learned the truth, and then we left. Big freaking whoop," she added in an extremely heavy sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes.

"What about that promise!" he shouted.

"Huh?" Ed asked, confused.

Kiara went bug-eyed for a moment in shock, then shot him a dagger. "Shut-up about that!" she hissed.

"You were hurt when she broke it! Why should you do the same?" Al replied bravely.

"HUH?" Ed asked louder, but they both ignored him.

"What would be the use! There's nothing to break when it's already been done! Just be quiet Al," she snapped.

"HUH!" Ed shouted again, clear and loud.

"Oh be quiet too Ed, we can freaking hear you," Kiara added hastily, as he huffed angrily. "Like I'd tell you," she murmured.

"Hey, what's so bad about me!"

"Why are you going to start a fight?"  
"Al, what's she talking about, what are you talking about?"

"Uh…"

"Don't you dare tell him!"

"Tell me!"

"Don't!"

"Uh…"

"I'm your brother!"

"But I made a promise brother…."

"Ed, shut-up about it!"  
"NO! I deserve to know! Especially if it has anything to do with-"

"No, it doesn't niisan."

"WOULD WE ALL JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kiara raged, hitting the closest thing to her.

"Hey watch it Nevina!" Ed shot nastily, rubbing his arm.

"Please, Kiara, watch you language," Al added.

"I can say whatever the hell I want! And I say, at this exact damn moment, we are not turning back! I am not about to apologize!" Kiara yelled, stopping.

They stopped too, and watched her point a finger and yell at them.

"I'm not going to make amends, I'm not going to listen to you, but I _am _going to turn straight forward and keep walking!" and she hastily moved swiftly forward.

Al couldn't do anything, unless he picked her up and starting walking in the other direction. In fact, he actually considered it, and warned her with it. She simply replied that she'd kill him. One way or another, she'd knock his head off. With no doubt she would, Ed stopped them there, afraid that if Al's head _did_ pop off, she'd figure everything out.

The rest of the walk was quiet. Waiting for the train at nine was quiet, the two-hour ride back home was quiet. The walk up the steps and all the way to their rooms was in complete and utter silence.

"Goodnight," she snapped, as she stepped off the elevator and on to her floor. Kiara didn't turn around to see the door close and move up just one more floor, and headed straight down the hall and into her room, slamming the door.

"HOLY SHIT!" she cried in alarm, dropping the suitcases that she didn't need.

"Konichiwa, Kiki-kun," they said quietly.

"What are _you_ doing in here!" Kiara demanded.

"I…I had to see you," they whispered.

* * *

Kyoto: City in central Japan on southern Honshu; a famous cultural center that was once the capital of Japan. What, did you think I'd make my own city? No way, Alleth is mine, not Kyoto.

* * *

ALRIGHT! Hope you enjoyed it. I'm thinking it may have been a bit too long, because on word it said I had 10 pages...and that's in font size 11, just so ya' know. REVIEW PLEASE. I hate 10 reviews, and I hate to brag, (not really) but it says 196 people have read this. Besides, I WANT MORE FRIENDS! Ok...so I guess this chapter is put up in time for...well, New Year's. So, yeah, I dedicate this to New Years...or something like that. Ha, I should do and FMA New Years. Kiara needs SOMEBODY to kiss when the ball drops...(snicker) You know who I'm talking about! (winks) 


	7. Appurtenant Time

**_DISCLAIMR:_ FMA. Full Metal Alchemist, whatever you want to call it, not mine. But when I take over the world...**

**Himoru Arakawa will have a giant castle, but be forced to make a new chapter every week, just like Misashi Kishimoto! But she can't have a team, but her work is the one and only best!**

**

* * *

**

A/N: Yes, I'm alive (snicker). Here is chapter 7 for the three people who have me on author alert, and the couple of people who have this on story alert! Kudos to you beautiful people, and yes, I know you exsist! I'm just a procrastinator, so don't expect a thank-you note anytime soon...(but I do love it! YOU GUYS ROCK!)

I left a cliffhanger on my last chapter, but there are no recaps. Please read my other chapters. You don't just randomly open a book, start reading it, then finish it? No, and it's not nice to the author.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: Appurtenant Time**

"Konichiwa! Get out of my room God damn it!" Kiara shouted, throwing her suitcase at her.

"Jesus Kiara!" Liana caught it distractingly, but it still muffled her voice. "Besides, you can hardly call it _your_ room. Other people are providing it for-"

"Does is look like I care!" Kiara interrupted. "This is my personal space! How'd you even get here before me?" she asked incredulously.

"That's not point. I called you down there so I could talk to you, not so you could throw a hissy fit and stomp off on me," she replied.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kiara shrieked, throwing her fist at her.

"When did you get so violent?" Liana asked breathlessly, barely catching it. "Don't hurt me Kiara, I know you don't want to."

"Keep talking, maybe I can get a shot it," Kiara tried to struggle from her grasp.

"Fine, I'll cut straight to the point," Liana sighed. "It's your father. He was the one with the town, not that stupid name I made up earlier. Kiara, you're dad is looking for you."

Four days passed. Kiara's time with the Elric brothers was almost over. She had only two more days, to her delight, and she could finally go back. That was, until Kiara had finally taken her nervous butt out of her room to go see Mustang.

She had been jumpy for some reason after Liana had informed her of everything. Still in a state of shock, she couldn't think clearly, or eat properly. No one seemed to notice except the Elric brothers, who she easily slipped away from, and Austin, who she had cancelled all lessons with.

After two unsteady days, Austin came up to her room. When half an hour passed and he could get nothing out of her, somehow, he managed to persuade her to see Mustang.

And, as she sat in the chair in front of Mustang, she marveled and wondered at how Austin had managed to do it.

"So, what's this all about?" Roy asked, smirking that she had come to him.

Kiara scowled, but didn't turn back around and walk off.

"Liana Kong came here the other day," she cut straight to the point.

"Why the need, I've already got the little helpless information," he held up a small amount of papers.

"That's just the thing. She lied, and told me the truth," Kiara bit her tongue, remembering all that Liana had told her.

Mustang sighed angrily. "Why?" he asked angrily.

"Because I'm the only one who's supposed to know the truth, but I'm telling you," she replied.

"Well…this has never happened before," Mustang smirked, almost making Kiara regret everything she said. "But I'm glad you came," he added. "And I have to admit, I'm very relieved you're confessing. I was in a tight spot you could say, and I'll look much better to everyone if I know the real truth."

"Maybe I shouldn't tell you then," Kiara turned the tables. "I'd like your superiors to see you struggle…that's amusing."

"I can have you killed."

"Not until you get your information," Kiara smiled wickedly as Mustang sighed.

"Just _tell me_," he urged frustratingly.

"OK, okay," Kiara laughed, leaning back in her seat. "First off, I think you need to know his name is Garo Agro; that's made up."

"Well?" Mustang snapped irritably after a long silence. "Can we have a first name?"

She paused for a moment, and breathed in deeply.

"I haven't all day Nevina," Mustang added.

"Oh, I'm sure you don't," she rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Aimon Nevina," Kiara finally said.

He eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "Don't get me wrong Nevina," he spoke after a long air of silence. "But your last name isn't too common around here…." He trailed off, expecting her to explain.

"He's my father," Kiara explained. "Can I tell you the rest without stopping?" she felt embarrassed asking, and lowered her head slightly.

"Go ahead," and for the first time Kiara had known him, Mustang's voice sounded respectful and caring.

"After a freak alchemy accident long ago, I lost my mother," Kiara started off, never keeping her eyes off the floor.

"That's hardly saying it right," he heard her say from above.

"Alright," she gritted her teeth, knowing he couldn't sound kind for more than a moment. "About a year ago when I murdered my mother I lost my state alchemist ID," she spat hatefully. "Better?" she snapped.

"The truth hurts," Mustang shrugged.

Kiara rolled her eyes, knowing she'd never get through explaining this without his snide remarks. "Let me finish," she ordered.

Mustang hushed up, allowing her to move on.

"My father, Aimon, is still alive, and has been for quite some time," Kiara didn't pause for Mustang to become shocked or let it sink in. "We had a misunderstanding you see, and so he ran off. My search was cut short seeing that the military took no time into arresting me," she recalled the dark cold nights in a cellar she didn't deserve.

"It turns out that really my father had set off to protect me. Don't ask me what the hell that is, I don't know. Frankly, Liana and I think he's out to find the Philosopher's stone, call me crazy," Kiara laughed.

But Mustang's face tightened and he went stiff. "So…" he thought of how to word his sentence. "That would make reasonable sense, including his actions. Your father has set off to find the legendary Philosopher's stone to protect you. The question is…why?" he asked.

"You do realize the divine stone isn't real?" Kiara laughed. "I mean sure, there are leads, and sure there are some 'refined' additions to it, but to find the real thing…well apparently, it'd be trying to find a needle in a haystack, to say the least."

"That's not what I'm asking you Nevina," Mustang ignored all she said. "I'm asking if you know why your father would be searching for the Philosopher's stone. Greed or lust could be one thing, but if it's to help you, why?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"I barely know half your story," Mustang said, finally making Kiara lose it.

"You do too," Kiara sighed frustrated. "A seventeen year old girl shows up randomly at the military's doorstep asking to be a state alchemist. They laugh in her face, but a certain Colonel Roy Mustang knows better. In fact, he's even heard rumors of a girl like this. So, he gives her a chance, and it turns out well. This only makes Roy look especially better, which is why, for some weird reason, his officers get their own room.

"Everything runs smoothly for the Entity Alchemist, and a year passes. Exams come through and she passes successfully and even a few new or polished discoveries. Yay for the most productive state alchemist to ever live," she threw in sarcastically.

"But egad on the government! For, to everyone's shock, the young alchemist had murdered her mother only four months into the New Year!

"Quick to snap into action, the military locks her away and rips her from her precious license she worked so hard for. After several protests, questions, and witnesses later, the expelled alchemist is free from all charges, for no one could pinpoint the exact cause of death for the mother. The girl was placed under heavy duty for four months, though she barely needed it, and somehow managed to survive a year without any barges.

"But oh, holy! Now the crimes are rising again, and who better to blame them on than the one everyone already hates? Not only that, but she is placed under the care of a state alchemist, though a regular official with a much less busier schedule could have taken care of it. Why, she's even set on an old case again.

"So here we sit, with a very pissed off Kiara Nevina explaining everything. Would you like me to keep saying our next actions in third person?" Kiara asked sarcastically, finally ending her long explanation.

"Thank-you for the information," she saw a creepy smile bestow across his face. "Although it was all a fabricated lie, and barely anything was explained, I see my intentions were correct."  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kiara asked confused.

"It seems you'll be staying with us longer than I expected," he smirked. "I'll arrange a meeting with you and the Elric brothers in a week's time, so be ready," and he began to sift through papers on his desk.

"Wait…_what?_" she asked incredulously.

"You'll be staying," he answered simply, never looking up from his documents.

"Oh no," Kiara laughed hard and icily. "You can't be serious," she stared him down hard.

"I'm afraid I'm not," his attention was of course on Kiara, but staring down at his papers were only there to make her more angry.

"I'm ready to leave!" she shrieked. "I deserve to leave! This doesn't make sense. You can't keep me in holding, I don't belong to you people anymore!"

"Sorry for my rudeness, but I'm afraid you'll have to escort yourself from my office," she could see Roy trying to keep a suspicious smirk coming across his face.

Kiara stood there flabbergasted. _She was ready to go home._ No more annoying Edward, no more people staring at her oddly because she was very young, no more crappy lunches of bread and water, no more small room, no more restrictions…no more anything. She felt like a captured bird from the wild, and just when the rehab center was about to let her go, a stupid little boy ran through and stepped on her foot. She was crushed in here for good. By God, what had she gotten herself into?

Amazingly, she pulled her body around, one foot stiff in front of the other. On contact, her feet began walking swiftly. Out the door and passed the hall. Into the elevator and up to her room. Through her door and onto her bed. It all seemed like a blur when she did so.

Me, staying here, she thought it over._ WHAT GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS?_ She was so pumped up and angry, the new book she was reading on her nightstand flung across the room and hit her window.

she thought it over. She was so pumped up and angry, the new book she was reading on her nightstand flung across the room and hit her window. 

"I DON'T WANT TO STAY!" she screamed, as Mr. Yuki fell over.

She hadn't noticed or taken the time to realize that the second the rather large book hit the white metal shelf that it fell over. Mr. Yuki came tumbling down, but since his pot was plastic, it didn't break. He popped right out of his holder and soil spilled out onto the floor. Considering it wasn't carpet, she didn't really care.

"I want to go on with my life, not theirs. I'm done with the military. Hell, I was so close to being done with _alchemy_!" she shoved her face in her hands, sitting up on the edge of her bed. "I just want everything to be over…." she sighed.

"I guess I really did sell my soul to the military," she shrugged, finally giving up. "Even if I don't have my watch."

A faint knock sounded at her door. Kiara looked at her alarm clock next to her to see it read 4:00 in flashing red letters.

"Oh, right, Austin," she suddenly remembered, running up to the door.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, looking passed her to see her plant. "I heard some screaming, I wasn't sure if I should knock…."

"So you sat outside of my door and eavesdropped?" she snapped.

"N-N-N-No…I mean- I didn't…it's…er- I thought—" Austin stuttered horribly.

"I'm joking," she laughed. "Mr. Yuki just fell over."

So Austin came in and helped her clean up.

"So, there is good news," Kiara spoke as she cupped the dirt into her hands and dumped it into the pot again.

"What's that?"

"I'm staying for a very long time," she explained. Actually, to her, it wasn't exactly good news.

"Really?" Austin sounded excited. "That's great! See, and I thought God hated me," he joked, making Kiara laugh. "Anyway, why are they keeping you crammed up in the devil's hell hole?" he made her smile again.

"Have no bloody idea," she told him.

"It doesn't have anything to do with that meeting with Mustang I made you go to, does it?" Austin asked.

"Actually, yes, it had everything to do with that," Kiara replied.

"Yes!" he shot his fist in the air. "I love me," he wrapped his arms around himself smiling, while rocking back and forth.

After Kiara laughed again, she smiled at him. If she had to stay here, at the least, she should try and see all the good points about this place.

"I know you don't like it here," Austin finished patting down the last bit of soil nicely around Mr. Yuki. "But just try and see all the good things around here," he literally spoke her thoughts. "Starting with me… but that's a given," they chuckled together.

"Well, it's very roomy, and provides me with absolutely everything I need, so I don't need to go out in public," Kiara thought. "And that's just less time with Ed!" this time it was Austin's turn to laugh.

"And…well, I suppose living without people towering over me all the time is pretty nice," she shrugged. "And Alphonse is quite a lovable person, I'd like to spend some time with him," Kiara figured.

"Al?" Austin asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?"  
"Nothing," he quickly replied.

"I'm not in love with him or anything. He's a giant suit of armor," Kiara chortled.

"I know that," Austin turned a deep shade of maroon. "I just thought if you hated Ed so much, then you didn't find Al very good either," he lied very quickly and very good too.

"Their total opposites, and you know that. For example, Al is kind, sweet, loving, caring, respectful, tall," the last word made each of them laugh together. "Basically everything nice, and everything Edward isn't," she summed up.

They ended up talking up a storm as they always did, making their way outside to practice as they normally did. Today they reviewed their passed lessons, and Kiara found Austin was having a little trouble remembering everything. She decided to take it much slower, and eventually, Austin would get it all right.

After the lesson, as they were walking back up to their rooms, Austin broke their conversation about global warming.

"Are you absolutely positive you can't go anywhere in public without the Elric brothers?" he asked.

"Pretty much," she shrugged.

He sighed, and his face fell. "Then I guess I'm going to have to ask you if you and the Elric brothers would like to join me for lunch?" he shrugged, trying to chuckle the weird sentence off.

"Lunch, eh?" Kiara thought it over for a moment. "Where at?"

"I know this little place a couple of miles from here. Nothing big," Austin explained. "Ever heard of the Maison de Ville Café?" he asked casually, with a very fine accent.

"I know it's French, and I know it means townhouse," Kiara shrugged. "And I like them both. Sure, I'd love to go," she answered.

"Good," he smiled.

"Good, then it's a date," Kiara laughed, as Austin turned red.

"A double date," Austin chuckled.

"Wow, I didn't know you swung that way!" Kiara exclaimed, earning a hit in the arm. "So how long have you and Ed…?" she could help herself.

They laughed merrily until Kiara stepped off the elevator and walked up to her room.

"Somehow, I always end up back in my room," Kiara said aloud in the silence, noticing the weird realization. "I guess it's because the author can't think of anywhere else to put me," she laughed, and then suddenly the thought that this was just a fanfiction written by a twelve-year-old girl was instantly snapped from her brain.

(A/N: HA, THAT'S FUNNY!)

"I need to talk to the Elrics," she realized, running out of her room.

She went up the elevator, although it was only one floor, and had to stop for a moment to think. She just realized that she'd never really been up to the Elrics room. So she sort of forgot what room number they were.

"Was it fourteen? No…fifteen. Wait...five? No, that's on my floor," she thought troubled. "I know it starts with a 'f.' I think Riza said fourteen. But that was so long ago!" Kiara cried frustrated.

"I guess there's only one thing left to do," she shrugged, taking a deep breath.

"ELRIC BROTHERS, IF YOU'RE IN YOUR ROOM PLEASE COME OUT SO KIARA CAN TALK TO YOU!" she gave her highest shriek of a scream, killing her vocal cords she hit so high. "SEE, SHE CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR ROOM NUMBER AND—" but she was cut off.

"My Atlanta shut-up!" someone managed to shout over her (to both of their amazement).

"Oh, hi Eddie!" she perked up with a happy wave as Edward held his head in his hands.

"Every day you make me need medication," he growled angrily.

"And every day that provokes me to do it more," Kiara wavered in a sing-song voice, inviting herself into their room while skipping.

"Oh, hello Kiara-kun," Al smiled the best way an armor can in greeting, looking up from a giant mound of papers.

(Again, A/N: ALPHONSE CAN CALL KIARA WHATEVER THE HELL I SAY HE DOES GOD DAMN IT!)

"Really, Al, you're using 'kun'?" Ed barked grumpily.

"I'm just so special!" Kiara squealed, hugging herself. "You guys sure have a lot of papers," she picked up a thick document, then dropped it into some more research.

"Don't scatter the analysis!" Ed shot heavily, trying his best to catch the papers that were floating quickly off the edge.

"Damn Ed, you're in a horrible mood. And not just your normal one either," she huffed, crossing her arms in a quick shove.

"Well, brother's just upset because we have to spend so much time inside these days," Al intervened in his defense.

"Because of you!" he shot a horrible death dagger at her. "We can't go anywhere! I'm stuck in here with no leads whatsoever!"

"What are you looking for?" she inquired curiously, snatching a paper before they could stop her. "A…travel guide?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Uh, brother wrote that," Al tried to take it from her grasp.

"Hold on," she never removed her eyes from the text as she swiftly brought it up and out of Al's sitting reach. "This isn't a real travel guide…it's a code," she finally noticed.

"Wow, I had no idea you weren't completely thick," Ed rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Shut-up," Kiara snapped back, still staring hard at the text. "Every alchemist writes in code…." She realized. "I used to write in a variant of anesthesiology," she told them.

"Really?" Ed seemed surprised and impressed at the same time. "That's a pretty difficult field…why didn't you think of something easier?"

"Well, I was called the 'Entity' Alchemist. I studied various sources of life," Kiara shrugged. "I knew all about quantum physics and medical structure before I even dove into alchemy. Plus, I like to write about numbing people and taking all their pain away by jabbing a needle in their vein," she sighed, looking off into the distance to recall old memories. "It's comforting…."  
Ed and Al just sort of stared at her like she was this creepy girl with weird philosophies. And she was, really.

"But…." She took another silence to sit down and try and work at the code she held in her hand. "The only thing I can get from this is an advertisement to Alleth," she shrugged, tossing it make to Ed, who distractingly caught it.

"I can't make head or tails of it either," Al assured her the same confusion as Ed smiled happily.

"Wow, I had no idea you weren't completely thick," Kiara found herself shooting the same icy words that Ed had said just moments before right back in his face.

"Sorry…." He muttered, taking her aback.

Finally he gets how horribly nasty he is to me, Kiara thought angrily, watching him distastefully as he seemed rather embarrassed at how he had acted. _He'll see one day that I'm just trying to help him…._ She sighed with a faint smile.

Kiara thought angrily, watching him distastefully as he seemed rather embarrassed at how he had acted. She sighed with a faint smile. 

Wait…help him. Kiara finally realized why she was here in the first place.

"Okay, the real reason I'm here," she clapped her hands together and rubbed them quickly, feeling the heat of friction instantly form. "And you're not going to like it…."

"Can you tell us later? We really aren't in the mood," Ed begged her breathlessly.

She frowned slightly, noticing the pleading look in his baggy eyes. She deciphered whether or not she should really tell them. After all, Mustang wasn't going to talk to them for another week…and Austin had offered them to lunch tomorrow. She decided to wait until after the pleasurable afternoon out in town and then lay the big news on them.

"OK," she shrugged carelessly, acting if it wasn't that big of a deal. "But I'm going to have to at least tell you that officially, today was going to be my last day here until I left for Kyoto."  
"Really?" Ed seemed surprised, then began looking up on the calendar that hung from their wall. "You left today? You're sure? I thought it was…oh, well that says yesterday," he chuckled, marking the day off.

"Nice to know you care about me," she spoke bitterly.

"We do," Al acted as if he was talking to a child who was saying her mother didn't love her. In a way, he was. "We've just been frantically busy, and the truth is even I didn't know when you were leaving," he looked up from his work to see a rather lower self-esteemed Kiara. "You've grown on us so much it's just kind of weird thinking you'd really be leaving," he finally got the rest out, making Kiara smile and brighten up.

"Well, actually Ed was right. I really leave tomorrow, but that doesn't count if all I do is pack and get out of here by twelve!" she came to a defense she really didn't need to uphold. "But that's not the point," Kiara tried to move onto the information she desperately needed to tell them. "I just need to tell you I'm going to stay and we're all having a meeting with Mustang," she finally got out.

"You're staying? Great!" Al cheered, making her coo and try to hug him.

"You're…staying?" Ed asked, not seeming to be grateful or sad.

"You didn't want to hear it all," she found herself saying in the same sing-song voice. With a smile plastered across her face, Kiara got up and skipped over to the door.

"Oh, and we're having lunch with Austin at the Maison De Ville Café tomorrow. And don't say we can't, you are _ordered_ to come with me anywhere in public," she warned.

"But we—"

Though Ed's voice was cut off by a door hastily shoved shut.

* * *

There are two ways to write anesthesiology. Of course, if you write it 'anaesthesiology' it's just a variant of the original spelling…and takes too long to write out (a whole extra letter!) And yes, I knew what anesthesiology was before I wrote this, and I didn't find it randomly over the Internet, so stop scoffing. AND I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, TOO! I'm fairly smart if I do say so myself…. 

PWEETY PWEASE REVIEW! If all 385 of you can take the time to read this, at least write, "I read this. I liked it."

It doesn't have to be long!


	8. Existing Beyond Myth Part One

_**DISCLAIMER:**_** I no own FMA! But I love for long time, long time! Hiromu Arakawa, her team, and all peoples who put sweat and blood into FMA I love long time too!

* * *

**

**_A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! A little later than you all were expecting, but I've had a lot of stuff to go through. Writing competition, ending grades, etc. But now it's summer, and I hope to get a lot out now! I LOVE ALL OF YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME!

* * *

_**

Memo: I've only had enough courage to make half of this chapter. I couldn't wait, so here is PART ONE! (snicker...I'm so horrible)

* * *

**Chapter 8: Existing Beyond Myth**

"Remember, this is a restaurant…so, don't curse, or something," Kiara warned them, looking around to see a dainty café with small chatter amongst the people.

Austin, Ed, and Al all stopped dead in their tracks, looked at her, then burst out laughing.

"You don't have to tell _us!_" Ed howled, as Austin's cheeks tinged pink.

Kiara grumbled something about swearing because Ed was always around, and hastily shuffled her feet into the line. Every other moment someone would look at her and snicker, until she finally snapped at them to stop being rude, and she got the point. Even Al couldn't help but try and disguise a chuckle with a cough.

"Table for…four?" the waitress scanned over them, counting very quickly.

"Yeah, but we might come out as a table of three," Kiara sent Ed a death dagger, which he shrugged off carelessly.

"Let's just go, alright?" Ed replied, looking towards Kiara annoyingly.

"Hmph, fine," she rolled her eyes and continued to walk forward.

"But really," Ed nudged Austin next to him while Al listened in. "She acts like cursing is an essential part of your diet."

"**I HEARD THAT YOU SCRAWNY RUNT!"**

"**WHO ARE _YOU_ CALLING A RUNT! I'M TALLER THAN YOU!"**

"**SO, GIRLS CAN BE SHORT, YOU'RE JUST MESSED UP!"**

"**OH, SAY THAT TO MY FIST!"**

"Brother," Al whined, grabbing on the hem of his coat, which miraculously ripped.

It didn't matter if she was a women; Ed had her neck in his hand in a matter of seconds. It didn't matter if they made a scene either, although a giant mass of people were already fleeing to the door or backing far away with wide eyes.

"I'll kick you in a place that will _really_ hurt," Kiara choked with the most menacing look she could summon, wriggling in his surprisingly strong grasp.

Ed seemed to take a while before things that dawned on him, and after he got past the post-shock, his eyes became slits just like hers.

"You're such a disrespectful brute!" he shouted at her.

"EXCUSE ME!"

"No, guys, stop!" Austin ran over, finally acting towards the situation.

He grabbed at Ed's hand, pulling as hard as he could. Though it was working, Ed made sure to keep a firm grip and never take his eyes off Kiara.

"Yes, a brute! You just waltz around acting like everyone's going to drop at your knees. You don't own anyone, we own you!"

"A brute you say?" she spat. "I'm not the only incredulously blowing up in a restaurant, and holding a poor women to her throat!"

"You'd bite the hell out of me if I let go," Ed retorted, as Al moved behind Kiara.

"**ENOUGH**."

It echoed hard and cold against the walls, ringing in their ears. It was almost creepier than the things that hunt in the night. It was stiff and hard, like a teacher finally fed up with a student.

Curse the luck of these four. Even before they could sit down, they have the biggest blast of anger between Kiara and Ed yet, and it had caused an unlovely scene. Before they could eat and have a decent time they were already held at gunpoint by a person they knew very well.

"You're both acting completely immature. Sit down and eat," second lieutenant Hawkeye pulled the gun into her other hand, using the other one for advantage.

"S-S-Sec…ond…."

"Hawkeye?" Ed and Kiara spluttered at the same time, releasing each other (Kiara had grabbed hold of Ed's belt).

_What's she doing here!_ Kiara thought frantically, straightening herself out.

Then she saw it out of the corner of her eye. The lady that had ushered them to the table stood right next to a certain Colonel, who had his usual impassive face. He seemed satisfied to an extent, probably to end the scene, and had a lady and a young girl with him.

In fact, it was a certain housewife and her daughter; of which the father and husband of the family had died in tragedy. Gracia and Elysia Hughes seemed to shadow behind him, looks of slight worry bestowed across her face.

"Ah, hello Colonel!" Al finally turned around and noticed him, giving a salute, as Austin did the same.

"FullMetal…Nevina…." He shook his head. "It's like everywhere I go you two stir up trouble."

There was some light explaining. Austin was introduced to the two strangers shortly after they gathered Ed and Kiara in line, and a few greetings towards Gracia and Elysia were made.

Roy had planned lunch with the two, also bringing Hawkeye along, but it fell on a day in which he couldn't get out of work. Thus, he still had his uniform on.

"You have to sit Hawkeye," Mustang had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as she wedged herself quickly but easily into the end of the seat. "And I'll see you four later," he tipped off his hat towards Kiara and the others, setting it on the table.

"Wait, I want a few answers!" Kiara barked. She then looked at the two girls with them. "Well…I guess after your lunch," she mumbled, shuffling her feet towards a different table.

"Isn't that weird how all of them managed to be at the same place as us!" Austin laughed.

In fact, he laughed a bit too nervously.

"Wait…you so didn't invite them here, did you?" Kiara growled, stopping in her place.

"What…no! I mean, I've never even met the Colonel. They're too important for someone as small as me!" he raised his hands in defense. "And I was with you three the entire time, wasn't I Al?"

"He was," Al nodded in agreement.

"I don't know. You're just sounding sort of fishy," she shrugged, as Ed snorted. "What?" she barked at him as they found an empty table.

"Fishy?" he rose an eyebrow, yet didn't do anything more but smirked.

Kiara smoothed out her shirt as she slid into the booth, taking a deep breath, letting Austin sit next to her. Her feathers had been ruffled too easily before; she wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Edward, you've said weirder things, trust me."

"Like what?" he edged her on.

"Once you said, 'She flew the coop on us.' That's weird. Just forget it, OK? We're both freaky, how about that?" she picked up the menu as the very silent and cautious waiter lay at their side.

"Umm…Ed and Al are first, considering they haven't the slightest clue what's going on," second lieutenant Havoc motioned his hand in towards the office.

The two brothers looked back at Kiara. She just shrugged and told them everything, and maybe even more, would be explained to them when they went in there. She wasn't too sure of everything yet, either. With that small bit of satisfaction, the Elric brothers gave a curt nod and walked through the door.

She tried to listen in, but you could only hear the few low keys to Mustang's voice, and the high pitch to Edward's. It started out calm, but as the conversation kept on Edward's voice slowly began to carry through the door. It was still a blurry mess, but she could hear faintly, "No" and "We can't." Of course, Kiara had also thought she heard Al say "cheese" so she wasn't exactly sure if she was conveying the correct bits of speech.

Something gave a 'thump,' and Kiara gave a worried look over to Havoc, who could only shrug.

"What do you think is going on in there?" she asked, a bit frightened.

"I try not to listen when it's Elric and Mustang," he shook his head in response. "They aren't the perfect couple, you know."

"Damn it, I wish I could hear! How come I'm not allowed i—" Kiara's sentence was thrown back the second the door swung open.

It smacked her straight in the face and sent her flying to the floor before she could even try and gain any balance.

"GOD!" she screamed, curling up on the floor and holding her face.

"Oh, Kiara-kun!" Al's voice was extremely shocked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you OK?" he bent down next to her, pulling her hand away from her face.

"Fine, just totally freaked out," she replied meekly, her face a faint red and her vision trying to focus clearly. "Oh no, there's two of you," she admitted, seeing two Al's moving back and forth.

"Smart one, Nevina," Ed's voice finally came in also, slightly amused.

"Ah, shut up, Ed," she barked angrily, snapping her eyes shut.

"Umm…are you sure you're all right?" Al asked again.

"Y-Yeah…yes, I'm perfectly find," she slurred, grabbing a hold of Al's arm.

"Find?" Ed snorted.

"You know what I meant," she snapped. "Glad to see you're so worried, Ed," Kiara staggered slightly as she regained her balance.

"I'm always like that," Ed replied playfully, smirking.

"Sine when did Al throw doors open immensely hard?" Kiara asked them, as everything began to go into its right place.

"He's got strength like that," Ed shrugged, walking a few ways over to Havoc. "Why are you still here?" he asked him.

"Just am," Havoc replied, shrugging also.

"Kiara, are you sure you're all right?" Al asked repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, is it my turn?" she asked, referring to Mustang.

Al seemed hesitant for a moment. "I guess…we're coming in this time," he explained.

"Screw that!" Ed spoke up quickly. "I told him a no, and we're not going to debate about it!" he barked.

"Brother," Al sighed angrily. "Why are you so against this?"

"Because she has no ties!" he pointed at Kiara.

"How do you know?" Al shot back.

_Not an argument between Ed and Al!_ Kiara thought desperately._ I hate it when they go at it, because it's always about me! And they usually never fight._

"Because the first one was dead, and that's just about all she has. Mustang's going on about instinct, I'm not buying it."

"Don't we live on our instinct?" Al asked again.

"No, we live by fact, scientific fact."

"Yes, brother, and the Philosopher's Stone is pure fact."

"It is now, now that we have enough evidence!"

"Uh…guys?" Kiara broke in.

"What?" they both shot, Ed's being rude and Al's being polite.

"What are you talking about!" she threw her hands in the air. "What do you mean 'Philosopher's Stone'? What's going on here!"

"Kiara-kun," Al paused for a moment, looking up at his brother. Ed just huffed, crossed his arms, and turned his head away. "Brother and I…we are searching for the Philosopher's Stone, to restore our bodies."

"Eh?" she asked faintly.

"We…a long time ago, we had an accident. I lost my entire body and Ed lost his leg. To bring me back, Ed sacrificed his arm to bond my soul to this suit of armor."

There was a long silence.

"I'm going in to talk to Mustang," Havoc finally spoke, slipping in the door as quietly and swiftly as he could.

Kiara wasn't sure how to respond.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you had to know some time, and—"

"So _that's_ how you lost it," Kiara interrupted.

"And…wait, what?" Al asked.

She looked up to Ed, who now seemed a little bit more interested in the conversation.

"I'm not stupid," Kiara shot, glaring at both of them. "I know a lot about alchemy too, no matter what you think. I knew your body couldn't sit in that armor all day long. Al, I knew you didn't have a body. It's just, I couldn't figure out how you'd lost it, and I guess I was too stupid to tie it with Ed's arm and leg. You guys…well, I know I sound crazy, but it sounds like you two tried to do a taboo or something."

They were really quiet. Havoc came back, and told them Mustang wanted to see them right then, so they filed silently into the room. Questions were still lingering about, and the three needed Roy to push on the answers for them.

* * *

If you review, you'll get part two! Sorry I had to add the little angst stuff really quick at the end, but Kiara had to find out before she went in. And it will get into a lot more detail and emotion in Part Two! 

Give A Hug


	9. Existing Beyond Myth Part Two

**_DISCLAIMER:_ I DON'T OWN FULL METAL ALCHEMIST...THE ENTIRE PACKAGE TO IT. I do own my original characters, plot, and ALL of the flames you see in my review section...sadly.**

* * *

_A/N: Here's part 2, to Chapter 8. Funny, the more I think about the chapter title, the more I realize it barely relates to ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS. Well, I'm referring to the Philosopher's Stone. In case you're wondering.

* * *

_

**Chapter 8: Existing Beyond Myth**

"Ah, we're all together," Colonel Roy Mustang's folded hands and crisp uniform bent slightly over the rather large wooden desk. "I think we should dive right into this, considering you're all dying to hear it," he began to tell them, as they seated themselves (besides Al who chose to stand) in the large maroon chairs.

"Due to a slight accident, Kiara already knows half our story," Ed seemed annoyed, his eyes moving skyward.

She was quiet for a moment. Really, was it any place for her to talk about it? Kiara knew there had to be deeper scars, and felt a bit…well, angry too. She was upset that their secret could be given away and hers still got to stay locked up.

"Well, that puts a fast forward on this," Mustang broke into her thoughts. "What does she know?"

"Al's body isn't real," Ed explained hastily, pulling a hand in Al's direction also.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You have to tell her the rest."

Everyone was quiet.

"Really, they don't—"

"Yes they do," Mustang interrupted Kiara's sentence firmly.

"Alright," Al finally spoke in, after no one could manage to push it any further. "We'll tell her what happened."

And so the Elric brother's secret was revealed. How after losing their mother, and not having a father, they tried the forbidden alchemic science of human transmutation to revive her. How it backfired, Al's body was lost, and Ed lost his left leg. In order to bring his only family left back, Ed sacrificed his right arm and bonded Al's soul to a large suit of armor. Then, to finish of the cake, they iced it with their journey to become State Alchemists and their search for the Philosopher's Stone.

"Nevina? Nevina, you have to say something now," Mustang pulled her out of the trance, but didn't get her to open her mouth.

All of that. Wow. How had Kiara been so stupid to not try and put more together when she was with the Elric brothers? How come she had never taken the time to actually look at them closely? And she liked to call herself an alchemist…when really, she couldn't observe less than anything now.

Then there was the ever pressing fact of all they had witnessed and gone through. That was enough to want to make Kiara slap herself in the face.

_I didn't use to act so…stupid,_ she finally realized, never responding to Mustang's comment_. I never used to be so obsessed with myself. God, no wonder they—_

"Kiara-kun?" Al's soft voice slid into her thoughts.

She looked up, and caught a second glance of Mustang's puzzled face, probably from hearing Al's way of addressing her for the first time.

"What does this have to do with me?" she finally asked. "I mean, that's horrible and all," she added quickly, eyeing them cautiously for a moment. "It's just, this really isn't my business at all."

"I told you," Ed pointed a finger at Mustang, a triumphant look bestowing across his face. "She has no connections to helping us find the Philosopher's Stone," he smirked.

Bingo. Kiara finally had everything click right into place, after a week of frustrated thinking and dead conclusions. Now that she had the whole story, a new one just began.

"It is your business," he completely ignored Ed, looking right into her eyes. "Do you get me, Nevina?" he kept staring her down, a straightforward sign that somehow only the two of them were using to their advantage.

Kiara growled. "You little…" she bit her tongue. "You know more than I thought, didn't you?" she snapped.

"Quiet a lot, thanks to a little more digging and investigating," he replied calmly.

"So you just had me sit here, and if you found anything, you wouldn't have to tie me down?" she finally summed up Mustang's planning.

He had kept her here for two weeks, making her think in a jumbled mess of confusion and anger. When really, he was just going to investigate in a strong feeling he had, and if he was right, he would already have her right here. Why was he so good at luring people in like that?

The flicker of an innocent smile played at his lips for only a moment, and Mustang pushed it down before anyone could notice the curling of his mouth. Picking his folded hands up off the desk, he propped his elbows against the wood and folded his hands again like he had done when they had walked in, and shifted slightly in his seat. He was trying to get more comfortable, considering he liked to watch Kiara sit dumbfounded and do nothing about it. Not that he loved a person's pain, but her expressions were the most amusing.

"What ever you mean by that, I don't know," he lied so smooth it could break ice. "But I do find this quite convenient on both our hands. Then again, nothing can be done unless you agree to a few conditions."

"Hate to break your weird moment, but what are you two talking about?" Ed's irritated behavior rose again, breaking their hold on each other.

"Wait a second," Kiara threw at him carelessly, then dove straight back into her and Mustang's discussion. "What are they?"

"Not until you tell them what's going on," he pointed a thumb at the two boys still waiting in the room.

Kiara's left eye gave a twitch of aggravation. Roy Mustang was as good as he ever was. She swung around in her seat so she could look directly as Al behind his brother and Ed slightly to the left.

"When I was in the military, I was the Entity Alchemist," she began. "I knew a lot about studying life."

"Wait, doesn't that make her like Shou Tucker?" Ed cut in quickly.

Kiara laughed. "No way, I've never made a chimera in my life!" she chuckled. "I never really made anything, so I guess that was one of the reasons my license was revoked," she shrugged. "I studied variant life forms, I made sense of things that a lot of people thought were confusing," she clarified her words from earlier.

"I…well, let's just say I was pulled into alchemy through family matters too," Kiara lightly touched on her past. "And during my time as the Entity Alchemist, I was forced by my family to hit on subjects I really could care less on," she began to explain. "Think of it as me being a doctor in a special field, you could say. I ranged from what the components are to a human being, to philosophy on why were made and here. I was scientific and psychological."

"So this means…?" Ed asked after a few seconds of silence.

"What do those two things fall into the most?"

"Transmutation of life," Al easily answered.

"Yes. I may not study it now, and I may not be able to teach you more about it—"

"We don't want to be taught more about it," Ed finished her off, crossing his arms.

She sighed, and tried to restart her statement. "Exactly. I'm here to give you connections. I have a lot of them," she finally got the rest of it out, then looked to Mustang one more time. "Is that right? Am I good?" she asked him.

He nodded an approval, and she slumped a bit lower in her chair.

"Are you two up to it?"

They were quiet for a moment, until Al finally spoke up.

"Can we have time to think about it?" he asked.

"Yes, I need to tell Nevina a few things first, even if you decide," Mustang replied.

Everyone gave Kiara a glance.

"I couldn't get out of this even if I wanted to," she shrugged, making sure to give Mustang a very deep glare. "I'm going to get pulled around no matter what you two decided on," she shook her head innocently.

"How long would we have to work with her?" Ed asked.

He seemed very interested in what Kiara had suddenly offered, finally.

"Depends on how long it will take," Mustang gave an empty response.

"About one or two months," Kiara summed up. "If you want to, that is," she added.

Edward went into a train of thought Kiara saw every now and then, when he really had to think something over. Somehow, this offer didn't seem so bad, after she had probably killed all chances of them catching up where they last left off. And if her plans ran into a dead end, then he figured they could always come back to where they were. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case.

"Give us a day to think it over," Ed never looked up from the spot on the floor he'd been staring at. "There's a few things I want go over with Al first," and when he said that, everyone knew he wanted to talk privately with his brother instead of in front of them.

"Very well, a day then," Mustang agreed, nodding and sliding back in his chair. "You two can leave now, or stay. I'm just going to touch base on a few things here with Nevina," he glanced back over to Kiara, who had become suddenly interested in staring blankly at the wall and hushing up.

Ed looked back to Al, they exchanged a look, a nod of the head, and both got up and out of the room after uttering their good-byes.

"What is it now?" Mustang's cool tone crossed dangerously with getting annoyed on his own terms.

He didn't just have extra free time to waste, you know, and all this pulling together was costing him plenty of it. Edward owed him big this time, and he'd make sure he wouldn't forget it.

"Huh?" Kiara replied blankly.

"Are you… alright?" he found it to be rather odd coming from his mouth, but forced it to push out.

"Yeah, yeah," she shook the thoughts from her head. "Just thinking. They went through a lot, didn't they?"

He gave a simple nod of the head.

"I hope I can help them."

They shared a quick silence following, for respect, of course. Truthfully, Roy Mustang never thought he'd hear Kiara in such a mood as they were in today. She had become unusually understanding and careful. He was glad though, that she had seen the finer side to the Elric's troublesome past. For the better, it made an understanding that maybe she too had something happen to her. All the closer he could get to the truth about Kiara Nevina, Mustang would take it.

"What are these exceptions I hear about?" Kiara finally said.

"Well, first off, you'd have to do this volunteer."

"Check."

"Then, I'm going to need to keep you in very low profile. Technically, I should have you back under watch's eye by now," he began to explain.

"Am I going to need to do anything?" she inquired.

"For the most part, I'll have someone take care of it. Just don't use that mouth of yours the wrong way," he made Kiara smirk.

"OK, I got you," she rolled her eyes playfully, still smiling. "What are the others?"

"I can't take part in any health issues or anything along the lines of those, as you already know, and your own pocket will have to be dipped into for money, unless the Elrics decided to pay for you, which I highly doubt. And I'm going to need you, on a moral basis, to give them everything you know. Even if it involves revealing a bit of yourself."

"I think I can make the decisions on that."

"I high recommend you to follow those specific directions. Those young boys aren't stupid, so you better watch yourself. And lastly, I'm going to have to ask you to dig more into the Kong and your father deal. I sense a strong lead going directly to the both of them."

"I immediately thought of that one first, sir," she threw on the extra word for the hell of it, being in a rather good mood by the standards of talking to him in the first place.

"Good, but all of the personal problems about it are going to either have to go away or be solved on your own time," he stated. "Other than that, I hope you are more of a help than a burden in their search."

"Ha, ha," Kiara replied sarcastically, prying herself from the chair. "But all of this is only if they agree on working with me."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem," he smirked very humbly.

"Well, I guess in the twisted world of the twilight zone, I'm going to thank you, Colonel Roy Mustang."

"Always a pleasure, Kiara Nevina."

It was going to be a bumpy ride.

* * *

I HOPED YOU LIKED. This is sorta a start of Kiara's changing personality, but very little. And yes, I DID plan on changing her attitude way before I got a shit load of flame mails, but they have simply pressed on me to make the change quicker, and that's all.

PLEASY PLEASY REVIEW. I'M USED TO THE HATE ONES BY NOW TOO. GOOD ONES WANTED THOUGH.


End file.
